Jurassic Park: Permanence
by GoldenHeart-Stories
Summary: In 1993, "Jurassic Park: Permanence" follows an InGen team tasked with retrieving embryos left behind after the tragic "Isla Nublar Incident." Survive through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Carlito, a boy along for more than a simple extraction. As if evading lethal dinosaurs wasn't frightening enough, the team must also contend with mercenaries led by a ruthless commander.
1. Chapter 1 - The Mission

_This adventure is dedicated to my good friend, Miguel. His creative talents and love for classic storytelling will always be appreciated._

**Chapter: 1 The Mission**

_1993_ _  
120 miles off the west coast of Costa Rica..._

I don't think there's such thing as a pleasant way to knock. At least not on the _Entente_. On this boat, everyone was on their toes and as twitchy as they came. My parents knew me to be a heavy sleeper, but not even that was enough to withstand someone's goddamn fist on a metal door. My eyes shot open and I bolted upright.

"Get up, bitch." said a woman. Undoubtedly Nanako. No one else on the _Entente_ had a spitfire mouth like she did. I'd heard Mamá go off on people plenty of times, and even that didn't compare to Nanako's fury. Perhaps she saw herself as the best and figured she had a right to treat others however she pleased. Or maybe all Japanese women were that relentless. Nanako knocked twice as hard. "Briefing's in five minutes! Get your ass up!"

"I'm coming," I said through a yawn. "Jeez." I rubbed my eyes and brushed the brown curls from my forehead. I glared into the mirror and sulked. The dark circles around my eyes were out in full force this morning. No doubt a direct result from my night of intense gaming. Sure, Papá said to only take what I needed and to focus on the job. But how could he expect me to spend two days at sea without entertainment? Besides, I _was_ focusing on the job. No one else was going to save Princess Daisy in _Super Mario Land_. I peered down and realized the Game Boy was still nestled in my hand. I tucked it away in a drawer and gently slapped myself. "Get it together, Carlito. Come on now."

I staggered out of bed and straightened my shirt until Super Mario's face was flat across it. With my khakis yanked up tight, I hobbled down the dimly-lit corridor and turned out towards the deck. The clang of my feet on the grated surface was irksome to my ears. "There you are," said a voice that instantly made me smirk.

"Good morning, Mamá." I replied.

Mamá grinned from her metallic seat. "Morning, mijo. ¿Como estás?"

"Oh you know. Shaken up considering Nanako practically smashed my door down."

Mamá chuckled. "I know. I'm the one who told her to."

"What?"

"How else was I going to get you up so fast?" She threw up a hand and waved at Nanako. "Thank you!"

Nanako sat across from us and returned a wave. "Yep," she said. The ferocity of her restless leg made me question whether the waves were actually shaking the boat or if it was her. Two men came trudging across the deck. Anyone with eyes could recognize my father's robust mustache. He kept it as bushy as his brows, and I amused myself watching it bounce when he spoke. Doing such was the perfect escape whenever he'd lecture me. Bruce, the man at his side, was as hefty as they come. His rippling forearms were a reminder for me to complete my daily pushups. He was surprisingly tan for an American. All his mercenary work in South America must've taken its toll on his skin. A machine gun swayed from his back holster and he occasionally ran his fingers across its butt. If a war erupted within seconds, he'd be ready to riddle everyone with bullets.

"Twenty minutes," said a smooth voice over the intercom.

Papá flipped the switch on his radio transceiver. "Thank you, Hans." he replied.

I'd only known Captain Hans Reicher by his voice, and never actually seen the German. Nanako heckled him as the god of the sea: that all-seeing being monitoring everyone's actions. The one clenching the helm, keeping to himself and holding all our lives in his powerful hands. Mamá said she'd seen him once during our initial boarding. She told me Hans was surprisingly handsome, with a pair of vivid eyes that would sooth your fears with a single glance. Of course she told me behind Papá's back, for he had always been the jealous type.

"You heard him," said Papá. "We've got twenty minutes before we beach. Plenty of time to go over the plan again."

Nanako rolled her eyes. "Again?" she groaned. "We go in, grab the embryos, and get the hell out!"

Papá glowered and grumbled at her. "Perhaps if it were that easy, you could do it all by yourself." Papá was the only person I knew who could shut Nanako up. He rolled out a map of Isla Nublar. "We all know John Hammond's little _endorsement_ _trip_ didn't go as planned. The majority of his guests made it off the island with himself, gracias a Dios."

"I'm always getting paid to clean up peoples' messes," Bruce murmured.

"Think of it as more of a recovery than cleanup," Papá assured. "Hammond is counting on us to get the remaining embryos back into InGen's hands."

"That and we're getting paid," Nanako added.

Papá smirked at her. "Well there's that too."

"Except for squirt over here," Nanako said before nudging me. "No one told me it was take your kid to work day." I went to nudge her back, but she moved so I crashed to the floor like an idiot. My parents' glares forced me back in my seat.

Hans anchored us at the island docks and our party was quick to disembark. A thick fog lingered over the ravaged ships and splintered sheds. Bruce took point and swayed his machine gun at every sillhoutte on the path. "Easy, tiger." Nanako snickered.

"Stow it," he growled. "This tiger is the only thing standing between you and the Yourdeadasaurus."

"He can't even name a dinosaur," Nanako continued. I started to humor her with a laugh, but Mamá shushed me. I dragged my feet across the dirtied docks. The monsoon had left mounds of disheveled debris in its wake. Hammond himself had given Papá a master key for all company vehicles on the island. The trick was getting into the chained up garage. I offered to help yank it open, but a furious smash from Bruce's rifle butt was all it took. Despite the dusty interior, Jurassic Park's iconic jeeps maintained their proud, red coating.

Papá motioned to Mamá. "Rosa, you're with me. Bruce and Nanako take the backseats. Son, the bed's all yours."

I hauled myself into the back of the jeep and rested my head. This was a huge mistake considering the bumpy road I became forced to endure. It was a good thing I didn't bring my gameboy. Focusing on anything while in a moving vehicle always prompted nausea. Then again, Papá's sharp turns alone were doing a number on my stomach. I forced myself to look up at the silver sky. The island breeze brushed against my face and carried saltwater to my nose. In time the nautical aroma transitioned into an earthy odor. Sand became gravel, and gravel soon dirt.

Just when I started to get comfortable, a bellowing horn forced me upright. It echoed too much to be the car's. "Mira, Carlito!" Mamá shouted. "Your favorite."

_Could it be? _I thought. "Holy shit," was all I could whisper while observing the beast. It was no surprise to me that dinosaurs were real. I was obsessed with them before InGen was making clones. I knew that given my dad's friendship with Hammond, I'd one day see a living one. Despite all of this, nothing could prepare me for a chance encounter with an actual parasaurolophus. Its cream-colored scales were vibrant along with its striking crest. Its tail swayed majestically until the rest of its body quivered. The dinosaur's beady eyes closed while it cleared its nostrils. "What's it doing alone?" I asked, only to elaborate when no one answered. "Most herbivores travel in herds."

"Maybe she got separated," Mamá said.

"Or a T-Rex ate all of the others," Nanako jeered. "And now it's only a matter of time before she gets snatched too!" She clawed at my sleeves until I furiously swatted her away.

"That's not true," I said. I wanted to believe that more than she ever would. In time the parasaurolophus became a distant figure hobbling across a lonely road. The other dinosaurs were lackluster after seeing my favorite so close. Stegosaurs and even long-necked brachiosaurs were bland blobs in the distance to me. At this point I wanted to forget about the embryos on this boring trip. I'd rather save that parasaurolophus and head home with it. Wishful thinking, I suppose.

The bumpy ride came to an end when the tires skid against asphalt. Papá removed the keys from the ignition and the doors slammed with our departure. I nearly fell climbing out of the bed, but managed to stick the landing. I first observed a series of tiki-styled rooftops over a convex stairway. "This is the visitor center," Papá said. "Or at least it was."

He was about to push open the entrance doors when Bruce stopped him. "I think I should lead," the mercenary said. "Remember the predators from the briefing. They may still be here."

Mamá's calming hand brought Papá back to his senses. We backed down the stairs while Bruce slowly opened the door. He snaked his rifle's muzzle into the room. When he gulped, so did we. We shuddered when he did. Sweat drenched his thick neck when he mouthed the word "tail." Mamá gripped my shoulder to protect me, but I knew she was equally scared. I contemplated how fast we could make it back to the jeep. Bruce aimed downward as the door creaked open. He mouthed "blood" and I instinctually crept towards the jeep. Bruce took a deep breath and forced the rest of the door open. The hinges' squeak echoed across the deserted lobby. Exhibitory dinosaur bones littered the floor alongside chunks of ceiling.

A dinosaur corpse lay bloodied amidst the debris pile. Bruce rushed over to it and pointed his gun at similar remains on the stairwell. "Jesus Christ," he whispered.

The smaller creatures had an iconic, hooked claw that sent a chill down my spine. "Velociraptors," I uttered.

"How many do you think are left, Geraldo?" Mamá asked.

Papá sighed. "I'm more concerned about what did this to them. Look at the size of those bite marks, and those colossal footprints cracked into the tile."

"If we find the control room, I can patch into the security cams and learn more." Nanako said.

Papá fiddled through a binder of maps detailing the visitor center. "Mind if I have a look around?" I asked. "No offense, but this waiting's kind of boring." Papá glared at me until I shrugged. "What? I'm not gonna go running off like the fool in every horror movie ever. I just want to see the lobby."

"Carlito," Mamá said in a notoriously grievous tone. "When do you watch horror movies?"

The tone I replied with was calm and sincere. "I'm fifteen. I'm not a little baby anymore."

"That doesn't mean you can't get scared," Mamá replied.

Papá tired of our bickering and ushered me away with a wave of his hand. "I can't concentrate," he said. "Just don't go too far and take Bruce with you."

"Wait, what?" the mercenary and I said in unison. "But-" our simultaneous speech continued. Papá stared us down until we reluctantly obliged.

"Right this way, your highness," Bruce griped.

I ignored his comment and trailed off. I examined a tattered banner pressed against a pile of loose wiring.

_WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH_  
"Cool," I whispered.

"Creepy," Bruce countered.

"What if dinosaurs tried to rule the Earth again?" I asked. "It'd be more of a Jurassic World than a park."

"That'd never happen," said Bruce.

"And why's that?"

"Because we have these beauties." Bruce gestured to his rifle and holstered pistol. "I don't care how big a lizard is, it won't last long against mankind's military prowess."

"What are those?" I asked and pointed at his bandolier.

"Flash, smoke, and fragmentation grenades."

Nanako stomped over and beckoned us back. "When you numbnuts are done messing around, we found the control room."

"Don't have to call me twice," Bruce said before joining her. Feeling unguarded for a mere moment brought a heaviness to my chest. The lobby's silence grew increasingly louder, and every unchecked corner became an impending threat. I quickened my step to join the others, fearful of what other frights awaited our discovery. Either we were alone in the center, or we weren't. Both possibilities left me wishing I'd stayed in the jeep. Better yet, I wish I'd stayed on the boat.

Nanako's fingers pattered away at the control room's pale keyboards. "I have to give credit to InGen's technicians," she said. "The coding in these systems is next generation."

"Are we not gonna talk about the bullet holes in these walls?" I proposed.

"Or the claw marks lining the tile," Bruce added.

"We can only hope whoever fired those shots made it out in time," Papá said. He turned over some flickering monitors and scoured the carpet for clues. "Coño," he whispered and withdrew a pair of shotgun shells.

I had heard from the briefing that John Hammond's grandkids were present on the endorsement trip. I couldn't imagine how frightened they must've been when everything turned upside down. To watch a park that prided itself on safety fall to pieces in days must've been horrifying for kids my age or younger.

A distorted voice emanated from Nanako's primary computer. "Listen," a man said. "The phones are back up. Call the mainland. Tell them to send the damn helicopters."

"Who's that?" Mamá asked.

We heard a shatter and everyone ran to the computer screen. "Here they come through the glass!" a woman screamed. Several gunshots came through the speakers and I glared at the shotgun shells. Grainy footage showed survivors scurrying into the ventilation shaft as velociraptors closed in for the kill. Nanako flipped through the feeds until we saw the chaotic conundrum in the visitor center. She sped up until a massive blob took up the whole screen and was forced to rewind.

"What the hell?" Nanako muttered as she froze the image. "Is that?"

"It is," Papá said. "A tyrannosaurus."

The beast gave me chills. Its daunting figure and ferocious jaws extended towards the ceiling. Toys always got its figure wrong despite decades of fossil evidence. Its roar must've been deafening in person. Relief found us all as we watched the tyrannosaur depart at the end of the video. "Keep checking the feed for any other clues," Papá said. "Bruce, guard the control room. We don't know how many more raptors were in the pack, but I'd wager more than two. Rosa, mijo, with me."

I followed my parents down a carpeted ramp and towards a freezing door. A stretch of reinforced glass revealed an array of laboratory equipment behind. "It's just like the schematics," Mamá said. "Stay close," she told me.

"I don't have much of a choice with you gripping my arm like this," I jeered. I could feel my wrist throbbing from how tightly she held me.

"Lo siento," she whispered. "Force of habit."

Papá shushed us as he read the lab modules. His narrow, dark eyes scoured each panel while he fingered his satchel. He withdrew a silver binder which bore the InGen insignia and flipped through it. Upon finding the proper codes, Papá gingerly input them into one of the keypads. Mamá and I jumped when the module emitted a sharp, hissing noise. Fog crept from its interior and wiring swung out from within. "This is it," Papá said.

Clearly Mamá knew more than I as she rushed to Papá's aid. She snapped on a pair of latex gloves from her knapsack while Papá reached into his satchel. A bright glint caught my eye as he pulled out an emerald cylinder. I watched my shiny reflection split apart on it as Papá opened the capsule. An arrangement of chrome prongs spiraled out like some sort of alien spaceship.

"Here we go," Mamá said as she cautiously reached into the lab module. I watched in awe as she removed thin vials, each labeled with dinosaur names. As she brought them towards Papá's capsule, its prongs amazingly locked on and snagged each. The vial was then nestled deep within the confines of the remarkable device.

"Your favorite, right?" Papá asked. I followed his eyes to the final vial, which read _Parasaurolophus. _People were right to call me a nerd if just reading a name got me excited. A smile found its way under Papá's mustache. "We'll have to take extra care of that one, right?" He said and I nodded eagerly. "This extraction went quicker than anticipated." Papá activated his radio. "This is team leader to _Entente. _Objective complete." The silence lasted far too long, so Papá tried again. "_Entente. _Come in." There was nothing but static over the radio. "Hans?"

Mamá removed her gloves and attempted contact on her radio. My heart sank when she received the same result. "Maybe there's no reception in the lab," she said. Mamá did her best to reassure us, but I could see the sweat on her neck. "Let's get to the control room and try our luck there."

"Right," Papá concurred. He sealed and stowed the case before leading on."

I changed the subject to stay calm. "What was that thing exactly?"

I could tell he too was preoccupied with Hans' whereabouts. "Well, mijo...it's called a permanence capsule. Only one of its kind, designed by Hammond's best for a mission just like this. It's interior netting is carbon fiber, keeping the embryos safe no matter how many impacts the capsule takes. Let's not test it, however."

"That's awesome," I replied.

We rushed into the control room and our looks said it all. "What's wrong?" Nanako asked as she swiveled in her chair.

"See if either you or Bruce can reach the _Entente_ on your radio," Papá ordered.

Neither was successful but Nanako had a backup plan. "I can find the docks via camera feed and check on the ship's status." She rapidly clicked through footage and passed a visage of the visitor's lobby. A squad of heavily armed personnel entered the building in strict formation.

"When is that footage from?" Mamá asked.

Fear took hold of Nanako as she removed her glasses. "It's live," she said.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Uninvited

**Chapter: 2 The Uninvited**

Hope had gone extinct. I feared the worst for Hans and now ourselves as my eyes remained glued to the monitor. Several armed figures set up a perimeter around the door and locked it down. That was all I got to see before Mamá grabbed me. "Who are they, Geraldo?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he said. "All I know is we need to get out of this building as soon as possible."

I pulled myself free of Mamá's grip and watched more camera feed. The strangers dragged a person donning a Jurassic Park uniform. I flinched when one of the soldiers struck him with the butt of his assault rifle. The worker's legs buckled forward and he struck the tile with a thud. "Oh my god," Nanako gasped.

"Enough lingering," Papá said. "We're leaving."

"Did we even get the embryos?" Bruce asked while flipping the safety off his rifle. His question went unanswered in the heat of the moment.

"Shit," Nanako hissed as she switched camera feeds. The next monitor showed other armed strangers searching our jeep and slashing the tires. "Well they're definitely not an InGen backup team. Now what?"

"We'll exit the back way," said Papá as his voice grew sterner. "Everyone keeps their voices down and stays together. Keep moving and only engage if there is no alternative." He rushed over to one of the room's bulletin boards and traced his finger across a map. "It looks like the visitor center has several rear pathways. We can flee into the backroads and formulate the next step from there. I'll take point and Bruce will watch our tail."

"Perhaps it's best if I lead," Bruce suggested.

"I need you at the back," Papá insisted. "We don't have time for this."

"I read you," Bruce frustratedly replied.

Papá scoured the room for another exit until Mamá nudged him. "The survivors were on to something." She pointed at the open vent shaft.

"Brilliant, Rosa." Papa said. One by one, we climbed into the ventilation system.

Its chill froze me in place until Bruce shoved me forward. "Keep moving, kid." he whispered sharply. I felt a growing heaviness overtake me with each passing step. The frigid metal against my fingers made my body quiver. I feared each movement would be my last and that we'd all end up like that park employee. I tried to focus on the path ahead and lost myself in Mamá's muddy boots.

The shaft seemed to stretch on forever. Despite its coldness, I could not stop myself from sweating profusely. Our movements were slow and clunky against the battered panels. I became so focused on them that I didn't notice we'd stopped. My head bumped into Mamá's heel and I gasped loudly. Bruce shushed me and I looked ahead. Papá carefully removed a vent panel and slipped down safely. He reached up and helped Nanako down before Mamá followed.

"Come on, Carlito." I heard Mamá whisper.

I was almost to the opening when I felt the metal beneath me give out. Screws popped off and I was quickly blinded by a rush of light from the lobby. I held my breath instead of screaming and braced as I struck suspended bone. Whatever was left of the skeletal exhibition came crashing down with me in a heap of dust and drywall. I struck the tiles and immediately let out a yelp. I could only hope it was masked by the sound of tumbling debris. Chunks of crumbling wall slammed beside me while the vent panel clamored away. The displayed dino bones crunched and crackled beside me and one of them almost struck my face. I flinched to evade it and only bashed the back of my head in the process.

The ceiling swayed through my blurred vision. I slowly came to my senses as voices called out in the distance. The quickest place I could think to hide was against the pile of fallen bones. I remained deathly still as the thunder of boots echoed on the opposite side. "This whole place is unstable," a deep and grizzly voice said.

"Anyone hurt?" Another, even deeper voice asked. Several others hollered from around the lobby, each making me tighten further into a ball. "Fan out and find the control room."

I waited for the footsteps to fade before crawling away. Every movement seemed unbearably loud as I shimmied out from under the pile and rose to my feet. My weary gaze scoured the ravaged floor until I spotted a pair of jet black boots in front of me. The neatly laced pair steadied themselves and I felt thick metal press against my scalp. My heart pounded as a wave of nausea took hold of me. I slowly looked up as the barrel of a shotgun slid down to my forehead. Its wielder was a blur and I could only focus on the weapon. It was nothing like the movies, and I feared the trigger would be pulled any second.

"Up," the gunman ordered but I didn't budge. I involuntarily raised my shivering hands in surrender, yet still did not rise. I wished my family and the team would come save me at any moment. It was difficult to avoid thinking they'd put the mission first and leave me here. The gunman grew impatient and slammed his gloved hand on my head. I gasped as his leathery fingers yanked at my curls and forced me up. He dragged me to the center of the room and beckoned to his squad. "What have we got here?" he proclaimed and tossed me to the floor. I frantically looked around and saw soldiers of many different backgrounds. Yet in spite of their differences, these men and women shared the same soulless eyes. If I cared to imagine what happened to a person after killing someone, the mercenaries' faces were proof of it. Contrary to the others, the man who'd thrown me wore mirrored sunglasses. He was a heftier soldier with massive trunks for biceps. An unkept mohawk swayed atop his sunburnt head as he stepped towards me.

He stroked his scraggly beard and gestured to a figure hunched in front of me. "Got someone for you, commander." The figure didn't respond, and instead delved further into the velociraptor corpse in front of her. "Commander Suarez?" The gunman reiterated.

"Just a moment, Mako." the commander replied. Her voice was husky and foreboding, all accompanied by the sound of tearing flesh in the quiet lobby. "Almost done," she whispered as the raptor body twitched. I trembled watching the dinosaur's lifeless eye roll as the commander dug deeper into it. "This is where precision is most needed. For the cleanest cut...the finest result...perfection." Something shred and the commander let out a sigh. She slowly stood and revealed a bloody knife. I flinched as she flicked it and splattered the floor with crimson droplets. Suarez turned and revealed what she'd robbed from the mutilated velociraptor. A sinister, lustful grin shined across her scarred lips. "If nothing else from this damned island," she began as she flourished her new raptor claw. "This is the symbol of death itself."

If the claw was death's symbol, Suarez was its herald. Four gruesome scars ran diagonal from her temples to her chin. Her black hair was tucked neatly in a military bun, and its color matched the darkness of her stare. She knelt in front of me and I immediately hyperventilated. "Think he's a survivor?" Mako asked.

Suarez's eyes narrowed and she placed her filthy hand on my cheek. She dug her thumb onto my lower lip and forced it down. "Clean teeth," she said. "Seems pretty healthy to be a survivor. Search his bag." Mako practically ripped it off of me and shoved his fat hands through the pockets. "What's your name?" she asked me. When I didn't answer she got even closer. "¿Hablas Español?" Suarez scoffed and used the claw to point at the captive employee. "Was he part of Hammond's endorsement group?"

The employee gulped and straightened his spectacles, clearly fearing for both our safeties. "I...I don't think so. But I'm not sure," he said.

Suarez smirked. "Then perhaps the kid won't mind if we shoot you right here." I felt like I was about to throw up. "Or better yet..." Suarez waved the claw in my face. "Puedo cortarte los ojos." Without even meaning to, I rapidly shook my head and a tear fled my eye. "Bilingual, eh?" She smirked devilishly. "Clever."

"But he didn't say anything," Mako remarked.

"He didn't have to. His eyes did all the talking." I watched her place the raptor claw in her chest pocket. "What's in the bag?"

"Nothing but nutrition bars, sandwiches, some water, and a nametag. Car-lee-tow," Mako said with no accent whatsoever.

"You goddamn gringo," Suarez growled. "Dime, Carlito. What are you doing here?" She loaded a pistol and pointed it at my face. "And por favor, no more silent treatment."

I took a deep breath and slowly spoke. "I-...I-"

"Commander Suarez," said one of the other soldiers. "We found the control room and the lab. The embryos weren't in the designated module. Whoever grabbed them must've gone through the vents."

"Not all of them got away," Suarez insisted and pulled me to my feet. "Squad, form up on me. The soldiers dispersed and took aim at every entryway, slowly moving in a circle as their commander did. She wrapped her arm around me and started walking. "Alright, you InGen cabrones!" she shouted. "Come on out. If you're anything like old man Hammond in his dossier, you wouldn't leave a kid behind. You want him? Let's cut a deal. The embryos for the boy."

"Hey!" roared a voice from the upper balcony. Suarez's team trained their weapons on Bruce as he stood ready to fire. "Drop the kid."

"I don't believe it," Suarez said.

"Did I stutter?" Bruce snarled. "Let him go!"

"You are in no position to negotiate, amigo."

"We're the furthest thing from that."

"Everyone in my unit is bound by blood," Suarez assured. "_Bound_. And that is unbreakable."

"We'll see about that," Bruce said. "Kid, _look_ away. This is gonna get ugly." I didn't catch on until I noticed what was missing from his bandolier. Bruce took cover and I shut my eyes as tightly as I could. I heard canisters fling from the opposite balcony and clang against the floor.

"Flash!" was all a soldier could shout before deafening, blinding bursts went off.

I felt Suarez's grip on me loosen as the sound of gunfire lit up through my ringing ears. "Smoke!" someone yelled. More grenades sounded and I found myself scrambling through a disorienting mist. I grabbed my backpack and kept my head down as soldiers rushed through the clouds. Bullet shells rolled across the tiles and I caught a glimpse of Bruce sprinting to another balcony. He blindly fired before taking cover, and I watched some of his bullets tatter into a soldier's hip. Blood streaked across the stairwell while stray bullets pummeled into the velociraptor carcasses. Amidst the numerous callouts of where Bruce might be, I heard Suarez ordering her squad to find me.

I bolted for the stairs but was grabbed by a one of the troops. He kept a firm hand on my wrist until another figure dashed from the smoke. It was the savior who'd coordinated with Bruce and thrown the grenades. Papá rushed in and pistol-whipped my attacker across the face.

"Papá!" I shouted. "I'm so sorry."

"Just run!" he barked. The downed foe started shooting and I flinched when Papá returned fire. It was the lack of being shot at that led me to believe he'd met his mark. "Drop!" Papá exclaimed and pulled me to the floor. We slid behind a pile of bones and watched the chaos ensue. "Bruce can only hold them for so long. We've got to make it out the back."

He tried pulling me but I couldn't rise. "It's a long way," I said. "I can't do this, Papá."

"Yes you can," he intoned. "If you stay here we die!"

"I'm scared!" I admitted.

"Then what will you think of yourself tomorrow?" Papá asked. As I thought on his words my feet grew lighter, mostly because he was forcing me up. "Go!" He shouted and shoved me forward. We made for the stairwell and a powerful gunshot rang out behind us. Its resounding flare was louder than the onslaught of bullets around us and accompanied my father's howl. My eyes widened and I immediately spun. Papa's hand caught mine and we collapsed against the ground. There was worry and surprise in his once commanding eyes. I followed his gaze to the wound in his chest and started to weep.

"Papá?" I whimpered. "No..."

"Listen to me," he uttered and pulled me close. "You cannot break now, you cannot." No matter how much he willed, I could not stop the tears from streaming down my face. He yanked me closer and shuffled as we stood together. I felt his trembling fingers clawing at my knapsack. "Ayúdame," he coughed.

His weight pressed against my shoulders as I did my best to haul him away. The sight of his blood soaking the floor made me weak in the knees. His radio fell to pieces with a crash against the tile. I gasped when I saw a smoking pistol stretch from the mist, its scarred wielder closing in to finish the job. "No!" My father bellowed in an agonizing breath and threw himself in front of me. Suarez fired again and the bullet struck him close to the first. With an excruciating screech, I sprinted away, glancing back only for a moment to see Suarez reaching into Papá's satchel.  
_  
_ I had read of fight-or-flight response before, but I'd never understand just how easily it manipulated the body. I felt like I had zero control over myself as I disappeared into the smoke. Memories and danger blurred as the incessant need to escape surged within. Gunfire became a distant echo as I scrambled out of the visitor center. I furiously batted away a variety of foliage and barely caught my breath. My eyes snagged a glimpse of the far away jungle and all I could think of was a potential hiding place. The dangers behind me outweighed everything ahead as I barreled through the leaves.

A pair of arms snatched my waist and I shrieked. "Let go!" I shouted and writhed. All attempts to elbow my attacker were futile as my energy depleted. The rush I'd felt inside collapsed when I saw my mother's face above me.

"Mijo," she said as I whimpered into her chest. "It's alright. I've got you-"

"No," I sobbed and shook my head. "It's not."

"What happened?" she asked with widened eyes.

I couldn't speak anymore, as if Suarez herself was ripping at my throat. "I-...I-...Pa-" I didn't have to say anything. Not yet anyway. Looking into my bloodshot eyes, Mamá just knew. "My fault," I uttered.

"No," Mamá whispered as tears escaped her eyes. She seized my shoulders when I nodded in denial. "No, Carlito!" I could tell she fought to stop herself from breaking.

"Papá's gone because of me," I wailed.

"This way!" one of the mercenaries shouted from the treeline.

Mamá shushed me and hastily dried her tears. "Come on!" she urged and yanked me deeper into the jungle. She dropped us under a log and shoved her hand over my mouth. We remained absolutely still as a series of boots sounded overhead. Mud kicked up and splattered our hair as my heart thundered. My eyes burned from incessantly crying and I shut them tightly. Mamá's grip on my mouth strengthened as the mercenary voices drew nearer.

"Any sign of them?" a man asked.

"Nothing out this way," said another. "Swing left and we'll start sweeping the jungle. With their leader fried, the rest will be easy pickings."

I heard Mamá sigh as our dark reality was solidified. She waited for things to quiet down before she released my mouth and whispered, "Carlito..." Her voice was no longer shattered. It had grown stern, yet brittle. All I could do was look up at her reddened eyes and listen to her solemn words. "We are survivors now," she said. "Geraldo...your father...had the embryos. If they are still after us, they plan on wiping all traces of this mission. Now our group is scattered after the attack. We need to find them and get off this island. I know you're scared, but do you understand?"

With a heavy heart, I gave Mamá a nod and tried to collect myself. She encouraged me to breathe slowly and we rose from the log together. The silhouette of a stranger stood across from us and stared us down.


	3. Chapter 3 - Among Giants

**Chapter: 3 Among Giants**

On immediate instinct, Mamá threw herself in front of me and reached into her back pocket. I was as surprised as anyone to see she had a pistol on her the whole time. "Don't shoot!" a familiar voice yelped.

I poked my head out from beyond her shoulder and noticed the salmon-colored polo. "Wait," I gasped. "He's good."

Mamá didn't waver, and instead backed up without lowering the gun. "Who are you?" she asked. He started reaching for his pocket until Mamá cocked the pistol. "You don't need your hands to talk!"

"S-s-sorry," he stuttered. "I was going for my ID to prove I work here...so you can trust me."

"I don't trust anyone right now," Mamá intoned. She gingerly took my hand and placed the gun in it. "Keep it on him, Carlito. And you...keep your hands up." My finger wasn't even on the trigger I was so frightened. All I could think of was the similar pistol that struck Papá and my nausea returned. The gun weighed heavily on my palm and I hyperventilated. Mamá plucked the ID and traded it for the gun. "Go ahead and verify, mijo."

"Walter Louis," I read aloud and matched the picture to his face. Both were an older gentleman with dark skin. The only difference was the fellow in the picture had seen much happier times. "He's telling the truth, Mamá. He was a prisoner just as I was."

Mamá lowered her weapon and Walter sighed in relief. "What the hell is going on here?" she asked.

Walter sat back against a tree and caught his breath. Globs of sweat made his bald head glisten as he panted. "I was supposed to be part of the park's opening team. As a service technician, I was in a group which stayed behind during the power outage. The blackout was the least of our troubles when the raptors attacked." I recalled the dead creatures in the visitor center and imagined how ferocious they were. Walter winced at his own vivid, dreadful memories. "I was the only survivor and spent God knows how long hiding away. When I thought Hammond sent a team to rescue me, it turned out to be those bastards."

Mamá brought her voice to a whisper and urged us to as well. "Did they mention who they're working for?" she asked.

Walter shook his head. "Only that they wanted the genetics lab location. I was so scared they'd kill me, I led them right to it."

"Cobarde," Mamá jeered with a scowl. She stood up and checked the clearing for enemies.

"What was that about?" Walter inquired.

"She called you a coward," I replied.

His nostrils flared and he rose with a huff. "Coward? I didn't brave raptors and these gun-toting scumbags to be called such by the likes of you, lady!"

"Keep your voice down," Mamá ordered.

"Look who's talking," he retorted. "In case you haven't noticed, these guys are shooting to kill. I watched them smoke someone during my escape."

Mamá spun, snatched him by the collar, and stared him down. "I know the risks here," she snarled. "And that _someone_ was my husband. As far as I'm concerned, he's gone because _you _couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"Mamá!" I interrupted. "It's not his f-"

"Not now," she snapped. "You just watch yourself, Walter. Before you bring out any worse of me in front my son." Mamá's fingers slowly loosened and Walter stumbled back. She fiddled with her radio and twisted its antenna. "Nanako, do you read me? Bruce, come in. Can anyone hear me?" Only eerie waves of static filtered through the speakers.

I was hung up on the daunting image of Papá on the tiles. I imagined the rest of the teams' bodies thrown over his, bloodied and lifeless. "I'm sorry," Walter said. His soft voice pried me from the nightmare. His weary eyes teemed with sorrow and I wondered if he'd lost loved ones too. "For your husband," he finished. "Nothing can ever replace him and you can think of me what you wish. The way I see it, we all have a common enemy and our only hope is safety in numbers." He pointed towards one of the clearings. "There's a radio tower not too far from here. It was only meant for island-based communications, but that'd be enough to get a signal to your friends."

Mamá remained skeptical and glanced over at me. I was quick to nod and take Walter's side. "What choice do we have?"

She bit her lip and sighed. "Fine, but-" I gulped as she waved the pistol in Walter's face. "If we run into trouble, you'd best keep running. If I see those hands go up in surrender, I'll kill you myself."

"Mamá!" I scolded.

She shushed me. "He's the kind of man that would sing under the right pressure. He already has and we couldn't risk him doing it again."

I was about to rebute when Walter cut me off. "Deal. You have every right to feel that way."

"Then start moving," she ordered.

Walter huffed. "From one gunpoint to another," he mumbled.

We began our extensive and cautious trek through the jungle. My early impressions of Isla Nublar depicted it as a contained, deforested island stacked with enclosures. I imagined more of a city than a dense wilderness. The fear of lethality in every shadow made each step all the more dreadful. We had no clue where Suarez and her troops were, nor which dinosaurs had escaped their zones. I wanted to trust Walter. At least I gave him more of a chance than Mamá ever did. I knew she was just protecting her own, and the pain of losing Papá was eating at her. The fear of imminent death was the only thing keeping thoughts of my own grief leveled at bay. I remained fixated in some sort of limbo between realizing my grim reality and still wishing it was all a bad dream. The occasional echo of gunfire or beastly roar left a mortifying impact on me. I was already short for my age, but I felt smaller than ever before.

"Not much farther now," Walter whispered as he brushed through thick foliage.

"You said that forever ago," I groaned.

"Say, you got any snacks on you?" he asked me. "You see, I get migraines if I don't eat anything. Lose my eyesight...the whole kabam. It's terrible and it's not going to help anyone."

I fingered my backpack for a granola bar. My hand brushed passed the secret compartments and bottle straps. Eventually I snagged a bar and tossed it to him. "Sharing one wouldn't hurt," I said much to Mamá's dismay.

Walter's face lit up and he hastily unwrapped the treat. "Thanks, little man."

Anticipation brought doubt, and I wondered if Walter was leading us the right way. I worried his bright colors would get us all killed. The pink polo of a Jurassic Park employee was perfect for catching a tourist's eye...and a velociraptor's...and a sniper's...and a-

"Carlito," Mamá's stern voice accompanied her firm hand on my shoulder. I turned with worried eyes as she shook me briefly. "Fuerza," she said. "Keep it together."

Usually her call for strength was screamed across a baseball field as I was up to bat. It was always meant to grant me courage when I stepped towards the plate. _Fuerza! _I heard her shout in my distant memory, her image a blur alongside my father's. It was a rally to action in the face of adversity...motivation meant to spur pride and fury. I never hit a single ball in my short-lived career, yet Mamá never stopped yelling amidst every strike out. I couldn't fail her now. I just couldn't.

"Fuerza," I replied and pushed onward.

Walter crouched and peered between several tree trunks. "Aha," he said. The next clearing yielded a steep slope with trimmed shrubbery. At the center of the basin was a wine-colored station with a grandiose antenna. "Home stretch," Walter rejoiced and slid down.

Mamá caught his collar and pulled him back. "Not so fast. That's a lot of wide, open space down there."

Walter glowered. "If we go around through the jungle, it'll take even longer. Your friends could be out of range...or worse." He looked at me and regret saying the latter.

"_We're_ going to be 'or worse' if we cut through the middle and someone spots us!" Mamá scolded.

"We crawl then," I said as the adults turned to me with furrowed brows. "Right up the middle. It's crazy, but the shrubs down there seem tall enough if we're low enough."

"I'm with your son," Walter said with a smirk. "It's actually pretty clever."

It didn't matter what he said so long as I got Mamá's approval. Her eyes darted between the slope and the treeline. I could see the weight of our circumstances weighing further on her shoulders. "Mamá," I said softly. "We don't have much time." She closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. "Fuerza," I reiterated, which seemed to give her a moment of peace. It was as if her efforts to keep me hardened through this all had at least proven fruitful. Whether that was true or not, her believing it was enough for me.

"Dale," she finally said.

With Walter still leading, the three of us slid into the dusty basin and crawled across the ground. I became fervently acquainted with Walter's work shoes and the intricate designs beneath them. It at least distracted me from the amount of sand and dirt getting puffed in my face. I occasionally glanced back to check on Mamá, who still had her pistol ready for a fight. My elbows grew sore and coarse as we carried on. The radio tower loomed closer and I lost myself in pretending it was a castle. I supposed that's how huge any of Bowser's castles looked to a little guy like Mario. How I wished I had my Game Boy with me to keep calm.

Before I knew it, Walter's feet were rising and the station's steel door was before my eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief and helped Mamá up. We poured into the facility and immediately found the comfiest seats possible. I grabbed the bottom of my shirt to wipe my face, only to catch myself in realizing it too was covered in dirt. "Here," Mamá said soothingly. She knelt beside me and retrieved a rag from her bag. Coupled with some bottled water, she wiped my face clean before seeing to her own. We shared what was left of the bottle while Walter scurried around the control room. "How are you holding up?" she asked.

I took a moment to process what she'd said. With a deep breath I looked into her worried gaze. "Papá's really gone."

Mamá swallowed hard and took my hand. "Yes."

Nothing could prevent the tears fleeing my eyes. "It's all my fault."

"Carlito-"

"It is, Mamá! If I hadn't gotten scared we could've moved quicker. We'd all be here together with the embryos. It would all be for something! Instead he gave himself protecting me and I have nothing to show for it." I fell into Mamá's arms and she held me tight. I felt safe enough within the confines of the station to do so.

She caressed my head and I could tell she kept herself from crying. Papá would've done the same, believing that one had to be strong in order to care for the others. "Mijo," she said. "I miss your father with all my heart, but you cannot blame yourself for his passing. He wouldn't want that." She looked at me with watery eyes. "He loved us so much that he gave everything for us to live. We have to honor that by staying alive? Okay?"

I sniffled and nodded. "Okay."

She jabbed a trembling finger at me. "I don't want you blaming yourself anymore. This is the fault of those evil people, not you. You are a good boy. You-"

Walter barged in with a stupid grin on his mug. "Hey!...Oh is this a bad time?"

Mamá wiped my face and her own. "No," she replied. "What's going on?"

"The tower's a little busted, but that's nothing a good climb can't solve." Walter chuckled at our glares. "Don't worry! I'll take care of it." He rubbed and pat his paunch. "I could use the workout anyway. Follow me outside so I'll tell you when to call."

We stood on the opposite side of the complex while Walter climbed the tower. The echo of his feet on the metal bars alone gave me vertigo and it wasn't even that high of a tower. Walter's pink blur fiddled with a fuse box and it clanged several times. "Okay!" his voice rang. "Give it a shot!"

Mamá attempted radio calls to no avail. "¡Nada!" she called back.

"How about now?" he shouted back.

All the noise left me uneasy after we'd spent so much time being discreet. I didn't care how quiet things seemed, it just sounded like a very bad idea. The sun beat down on me and I stepped back into a puddle to cool off. I huffed when its water was just as warm as the scorching heat around us. Mamá and Walter were still going at it, messing with technology while the weather stressed me out. I was tempted to go wait inside, partially wishing I could climb the tower so I could fix the signal and shut them up.

I heard a deep, resounding thud emanate from the jungle. It was quick, yet powerful enough to make me look around. "Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Huh?" said Mamá. "No, Carlito. Just give me a moment. Nothing yet! Keep trying, Walter!"

Another thud followed, louder than the first and all the more unsettling. A ripple of water brushed against my ankles with the third sound...and a fourth. "Mamá!" I warned.

"Think I got it!" Walter declared.

Mamá pressed down on her radio and called in. "Nanako, Bruce...come in."

"Rosa?" Bruce's voice made her grin. "Christ, you're alive!"

"Yes, where are you?" She gave Walter a thumbs up and listened in as he descended.

"By some kind of river. Rushing rapids. I've got Nanako with me."

The next thud added thrice the ripples and thundered throughout my body.

"Shit," Bruce's voice crackled. Nanako could be heard shouting in the background.

Mamá's eyes widened. "What's going on?"

"Get down...Get down!" Gunfire rang out before the transmission cut.

Without the radio close to her ear, Mamá also heard the sound of stomps drawing ever closer to us. "What the hell is that noise?" she asked. Instinctually, I rushed to her side and gripped her shoulder. The trees beside the station rustled and a flock of birds scattered. Walter stopped climbing as if his joints were frozen in place. I followed his fearful gaze from the tower to a scaly face emerging from the tallest trees. "Ave Maria," was all Mamá could utter.

The beast's snorting nostrils looked like hollow, soulless eyes on their own. It's real stare was as yellow and venomous as a serpent's sneaking through the foliage. The tan dinosaur took a monstrous step forward, rattling the station and causing me to grip Mamá tighter. Its footprint matched those left in the visitor center, and I was willing to bet the scars on its neck were the work of velociraptors. Walter trembled as the creature approached with protruding, sharp teeth. With a jolt of its massive head, the tyrannosaurus rex let out an ear-splitting roar. Mamá and I staggered back while Walter screamed.

He panicked and raced down the ladder, tripping on every other step. The rex lunged forward, its tiny arms swaying beneath its gaping maw. A sickening crunch followed Walter's cries as the dinosaur snatched him. His uniform dampened with blood and his arms flailed until the rex swallowed him whole.

Mamá slapped my chest and shoved me towards the jungle. "Run!" she yelled. My feet felt weighted at the horrifying sight. Just like Papá, Walter was so quickly taken from us. I was staring at his filthy soles one instant, and now he was gone. Mamá dragged me onward. "Coño, Carlito! Run!"

I couldn't let what happened to Papá happen to her because of me. I shook my legs and sprinted alongside her. The rex roared and gave chase as we fled deeper into the jungle. Each of its steps sounded like it was right behind us. "Don't look back!" Mamá panted. "To the trees!" We dashed over a murky brook and over to a denser section of woodland. The rex was relentless and its body toppled trees over like a bulldozer. Mamá disobeyed her own rule and fired her pistol thrice. Her shots were so erratic alongside her running that I doubted she actually hit anything. Even if she did, the rex's hide would prove difficult to penetrate.

Every step could've been my last as the rex gained on us. Mamá threw me between two trees and squeezed in after. I flopped against the mud and was immediately screeched at by a flailing herbivore. I backed up and crashed into Mamá as she yelped. The wounded dinosaur's spiked thumbs made it easily distinguishable as an ailing iguanodon. A dreadful reptilian sunk its teeth into the gentle dino's neck and finally silenced it. The carnivore's head was blood red while the rest of its scales were dark as shadow. I'd seen those sinister eyes back in the genetics lab. The carcharodontosaurus raised its head just as the rex barreled through from the adjacent end. Both predators snarled to one another while Mamá and I shrunk in the center. Their titanic stomps quaked the earth as we crawled to safety. The rex took a snap, but the carcharodontosaurus struck one of its still healing scars. It backed away with a furious growl while the sinister beast finished its meal. Remaining territorial, the carcharodontaosaurus unleashed a deep and deafening roar towards us as we fled.

My heart was thundering as Mamá pulled me down. We took cover inside a hollow log and caught our breath. She held my shaking hands in hers and rested against me. "You're okay," she whispered. "We're okay."

_Nothing about this is okay_, I thought to myself. We had no idea what other predators were lurking out there. I didn't know which monsters were scarier: the dinosaurs or the humans. I shut my eyes for a moment to find solace. The crackle of a radio forced them open and I looked toward the log's mouth. My heart sank when I saw the navy blue uniform of a mercenary pressed against the edge. Mamá motioned for me to be quiet, reached for her pistol, and cautiously crept forward.


	4. Chapter 4 - Forsaken and Under Fire

**Chapter: 4 Forsaken and Under Fire**

I wasn't sure what to do as Mamá crept closer to the mercenary. Being trapped in a log provided limited visibility, and I feared there could be soldiers outside. Mamá remained steadfast and stuck her pistol out of the log. She pressed it against the mercenary's neck and cocked it. "Drop your weapon," she demanded. "Turn the radio off and then get up." The man didn't move and Mamá lost her patience. "Now!" she ordered and dug the pistol into his skull. Mamá flinched when his body fell over and she quickly followed him.

"Mamá?" I whispered. I inched forward when she didn't respond. "Mamá?"

Her head popped up and I gasped. "It's alright," she said. "He's dead." I emerged from the log to find a mercenary riddled with bullets. One of the shots had torn through his still fizzing radio. Mamá searched the corpse and her nose wrinkled from the stench. "Check his bag, mijo."

I obliged and found several magazine clips, no doubt for the machine gun Mamá was plucking off of him. "Can you even use one of those?" I asked.

"I'll have to learn," she said while aiming it. "It's already loaded...I think. And the safety has to be...somewhere."

I rolled my eyes. "Madre de dios."

Mamá glared. "I'm trying, okay?" She stuffed the rifle magazines in her bag. "If I can use this you can have the pistol."

"I don't know about that."

"Come on," she intoned. "I can't look after you forever." She flourished the pistol and brought it towards me. "At least let me teach you."

I began swallowed hard. "Mamá-"

"To load a clip you must-"

"Please."

"Press here to-"

"Stop!" I snapped and regret instantly followed. "I'm sorry. Seeing it makes me think of Papá."

Mamá sighed. "This is a time of survival, Carlito. Whatever pain you're feeling is nothing compared to that of the people actually trying to harm you. I'm sorry that's not what you want to hear, but that is the way it is." I didn't waver and she pulled up the mercenary's pant leg. "At least take this." She unbuckled a hidden knife and gave it to me still sheathed. "Por favor. It will make me feel better if you do."

"Alright," I submitted and buckled the weapon to my leg. The feeling would take some getting used to, as it felt like wearing a tight-fitted dress sock.

The echo of gunshots rang out and Mamá actually ran towards them. "What?" she quipped. "We follow the foes and we find the friends." She tightened the strap on her newfound assault rifle and called in on her radio. I reluctantly followed behind and listened in. "Bruce, Nanako. This is Rosa. I'm here with Carlito." No one answered but more gunshots sounded in the distance. "They must have their radios silenced."

"They can't be dead," I assured. "Otherwise who'd be getting shot at?"

The sound of multiple voices forced us to get down. We peeked through bushes to see several mercenaries dashing through. "I think she went this way!" one of them said.

"Forget the girl," said another. "We deal with their fighter and the rest will fall apart."

I felt my heart rejoice when I spotted a familiar bob of black hair poking from the opposite side of the clearing. I nudged Mamá as Nanako emerged and snuck her way-across the greenery. She picked up a stone and tossed it into the adjacent bushes.

"Clever girl," Mamá whispered.

"What was that?" a mercenary wondered. "It came from down there." I gulped when he traced a line with his finger towards Nanako's position. You two check down that way. We'll check the opposite if someone's pulling tricks."

Nanako fled deeper into the jungle, leaving me to turn to Mamá. "What do we do?" I asked.

She took a moment to formulate a plan. "We-" Muzzles flashed opposite from us and we caught a glimpse of the river. Mercenaries had taken up a defensive position at the base of the rocks and were firing up at a lone gunfighter. "I don't believe it," Mamá said. "Bruce!"

His blonde head barely came up before a barrage of bullets forced it down. "Light him up!" Commander Suarez barked from below.

"Mierda," Mamá cursed. "Okay, here's the plan. I'm going to try and draw their fire to give Bruce some space. I need you to stay here."

My eyes widened. "You're leaving me?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Carlito, Bruce will die if we do nothing. Just stay down and I'll be back. If something happens to us you run as fast as you can in the opposite direction."

"But-"

"Enough!" Mamá vaulted from cover and rushed away.

"Shit," I panicked. "Shit shit shit." My nails scraped at the tree bark I hid behind.

"Hey!" I heard Mamá yell and fire several pistol shots.

"Left flank!" Suarez called out. "Sipoyo and Nomura...hold the line. Delgado, Patterson, and Makarov...get on her!" One of her men stood up and Bruce shot them in the shoulder. "Goddammit! Trauma kit over here now! Where the hell is Mako?"

I sunk back as gunfire erupted all around me. Everyone was at risk and here I was cowering behind a tree. I covered my ears, shut my eyes, and grit my teeth. The image of Papá's listing eyes and bloodied lips flashed across my mind. The echo of Walter's screams lay seared into my brain as I ran. My heart pounded until it ached and I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. I wished I'd never come on the trip, nor that Papá had ever accepted the contract. I wished he'd never met John Hammond.

But no matter how badly I longed for things to be different, I had to accept that they were not so. With thoughts of my father's death came those of his words... 

"_What will you think of yourself tomorrow?"  
_

What would I think? Who would I be? I'd have to secure a tomorrow first. Not just for myself, but for everyone I cared about...alive and passed. Fuerza.

I scrubbed my cheeks and rose from cover with a scowl. My mind ran through what strengths I did possess to help my family and friends. I'd never fought anyone in my life, but I could be one hell of an annoyance. If I could draw those mercenaries away from Mamá and run like the wind, she could have a better shot at helping Bruce.

By the time I reached the lower rocks, Bruce had already switched positions and Suarez was on the move. I advanced across the river and scoured the area for anyone to work off of. Gunshots were indiscriminately booming from everywhere, making things all the more difficult. One of the blasts sounded closer and I rushed to reach it. However, my foot snagged on a stone and I fell face first into the river. Though briefly refreshed, I emerged and hastily wiped my face. The ripples calmed and I noticed the reflection of a gunman aiming straight at me. Thinking quickly, I lunged leftward as a shotgun blasted the water beside me.

"Good to see you again, kiddo!" the man guffawed and pumped his shotgun. A smoking shell sizzled into the water as I sprinted further away. "This is Mako," he radioed. "I have eyes on the brat."

I kept running as shotgun blasts sent tree bark splintering over my head. Another mercenary rounded the slope as I did and took aim. I braced for the worst until a thick branch struck her across head. My eyes followed the weapon to the reddened hands of its wielder to find a pleasant surprise.

"That won't keep her down for long," Nanako said.

"Keep running!" I urged. "This way!" was all I could exclaim before another shotgun blast struck behind us.

Nanako and I ran along the river as mercenaries followed us from both sides. "Holy shit!" Nanako shouted.

_You're telling me, _I thought. We both saw a gap filled with thick shrubs and darted for it. Once within, we lunged into one of the bushes and laid still. Mako and two cohorts rushed near our position and paused when he raised a fist. "Fan out," he said and reloaded his shotgun. "Commander," he called softly. "I'm tracking two tangos out by the river. One's our little friend from the center and the other's a young lady. Going dark till they're taken care of." Watching him switch off his radio cued Nanako to do the same.

Nanako and I held our breath as boots stomped past our bush several times. "Come out come out," Mako urged. "Carlos...or Conhuevos...or whatever the shit your name is. If you come out like a nice little boy, I'll feed you tacos or whatever it is you people eat."

_Pendejo,_ I thought until Nanako nudged me. She motioned towards another bush with her head. With how many troops were scoping out our area, it seemed safer to switch locations and I followed her lead. We waited for the boots to pass again and crawled across to the next set of bushes. I tried to keep my breaths as shallow and quiet as possible. This became difficult when a series of stomps shook the ground. "No," I could not help but whisper. Nanako looked to me as I lay frozen with trauma. The image of Walter being chomped and swallowed returned in full force. "Not again. Not again."

"Shut up," Nanako said. She rolled over and forced her hand over my mouth as the thuds grew louder.

"Hey Mako," said a mercenary. "We've got incoming."

The trees swished and a series of deep bellows came over us. "Stand down," Mako said. "It's a herd of...whateverthehells."

Nanako released my mouth and we watched the titanic herbivores pass between the shrubs. A younger member of the herd came to our bush and munched away with its narrow beak. Its spiked tail and the plates on its back made it easy to identify. Heck, I had a stegosaurus toy on my window sill back home. The herd's cacophonous reverberations allowed Nanako and I to talk safely. "Relax, they won't hurt us." I said.

"Are you seeing those spiky tails?" Nanako insisted as masticated leaves fell on our heads. "Look, now's our chance to bolt. We can sneak out and use these big guys to screen our movements."

"i don't know," I worried.

"I thought you said they wouldn't hurt us."

"I mean...I _think_ they wouldn't."

Nanako scoffed. "Either we go or-"

She was suddenly yanked back and her face filled with leaves. I spun and sprung from the bush to see what'd happened as a mercenary dragged her out. He had seized her leg and prepared to take aim when she kicked the gun away. A sporadic shot struck the ground and Nanako broke free. She and I fled as the baby stegosaurus wailed. Mako and his other partner came running over as chaos descended.

"Get down!" Nanako exclaimed as a stegosaurus tail swung above us. While their young retreated between them, all of the adults formed a defensive perimeter as if we were predators. They brayed wildly and their once-green plates now flushed with alarmingly red hues.

"You want those kids, you gotta clear a path." said an impatient mercenary. She shot one of the stegosaurus infants dead and pressed towards us.

"I like the way you think," Mako said and followed her lead while the other man remained reluctant.

She had underestimated the herd as one of the adults charged her head on. "Oh shit!" she screeched and unleashed a barrage of bullets across the stegosaurus' face. While she proved to be a great shot, it didn't stop the four ton corpse from collapsing atop her body.

"To hell with this," said Mako's surviving partner. "I'm regrouping with Suarez!"

"Damn coward!" Mako scolded. He pumped his shotgun and focused on us as we weaved through the bushes. "Come here you little-" He fired furiously, and the spread struck several stegosaurs'. "You can't keep this up!" he howled and fired again.

Nanako and I rounded the herd to find Mako waiting for us. A dastardly smirk formed across his beard and he steadied his shotgun. It was quick to disappear when his empty weapon clicked. He was going for his pistol when a stegosaurus tail swung into his torso. Nanako and I shuddered as we watched him flail haplessly. The dino's spikes protruded from his back and dug deeper as he was lifted into the air. With a mighty swish of its tail, the stegosaurus flung Mako into a tree and sent his body crashing down. His shattered, bloody sunglasses swiveled to my feet and I saw my reflection in them.

You alright?" I asked.

"Fine," Nanako grumbled and spat on Mako's body. "Serves the bastard right."

"Help me roll him over," I said. Disgusted by the amount of blood seeping from him, we held him over long enough to retrieve his radio. "Now we can listen in and keep track of where they are."

"Not bad," Nanako admitted. "And I can turn mine back on."

"Right," I paused before she did so. "Unless...what happened to Mako has happened to Mamá or Bruce. Then they'd be listening to us."

"Don't think like that."

"I do," I insisted. "My Papá is gone, Nanako. I don't want to, but anything can happen."

Nanako scratched at the back of her head. "Damn...Carlito, I..."

"You don't have to say anything," I replied. "Let's just turn the radio on and keep moving with the river. If Mamá and Bruce are fine, they'll call us."

"Unless they're thinking as we are," Nanako said. "I'm being realistic and you know it. If we want a chance at reuniting, we have to find them ourselves." She withdrew Mako's pistol and cocked it.

"You know how to use that thing?" I asked.

"Bitch please," Nanako jeered. "It's one of the first things I learned on the streets of Tokyo. Now follow my lead."

She led me along the river and we remained close to as many ferns as possible. I thought of Mako and how quickly he'd gone from chasing us to being just another corpse. _Jurassic Park_...Isla Nublar...was supposed to be a land teeming with life. All it had reaped was death since we'd arrived and I pondered who'd fall next. Rain accompanied the setting sun and our pace quickened. Droplets battered my head like someone was irksomely tapping away at it.

Amidst the hastening rainfall, I spotted a building on the opposite side of the river. "There!" I called out.

We sunk into the river as the downpour soaked our upper bodies. We might as well have been completely submerged with how much water had struck us. Nanako entered the structure first with her gun drawn. "Clear," she whispered as I followed suit. I shut the door and the patter of rain was practically euphoric. I examined the nearby desks while Nanako cleared the other rooms. An array of folders lay strewn across, each with lists compiling different forms of supplies. A bulletin board had postings of several dinosaurs along with health information on each species. Outdated weather updates swayed by half-opened windows.

I nudged a long-forgotten mug of coffee. "They definitely left in a hurry," I said. A dusty wedding photo caught my eye and I pulled it closer. "Whichever spouse worked here, I hope they made it out safely."

"No one's here," Nanako remarked. I couldn't help but chuckle at she emerged with a newfound ranger hat. "Howdy partner," she joked and tugged at the brim. "I'm the sheriff 'round these parts."

"Yeah okay," I quipped.

The radio hissed and we jumped to it. Every second stretched forever until Mamá's voice came through. "Nanako," she said and my heart leapt.

Though hesitant at first, she eventually replied. "Rosa? I'm here."

"Where's Carlito? Is he safe?"

Nanako rolled her eyes. "Oh I'm fine thanks for asking." She pressed to talk again. "Yeah, the dork is here."

"Mamá," I rejoiced. "I'm so glad your safe."

"And I you, mi vida. It wasn't easy, but Bruce and I managed to escape."

"We've got a hiding spot down the river if you can find it. It's a ranger outpost by the looks of it." Nanako said. "The rain's a nightmare but that could work to your advantage. Stay safe out there."

Nanako and I sat in silence for hours into the night, munching on nutrition bars only when absolutely necessary. Our breaths quickened when the enemy blipped and we heard that wicked woman's voice. "Mako, report. Mako, come in now." she demanded. My gaze listed to Nanako and then back to the radio. "Regroup at the checkpoint. I want a head count before continuing our sweep."

"Hopefully that's nowhere near here," I yawned.

A knock came to the door and I gasped. Nanako slowly reached for her gun and prepped it. I backed against the wall as if that would do anything. "Mijo?" A voice whispered through the downpour. The doorknob shook and tumblers clicked as Mamá's face poked through. I rushed to push Nanako's pistol down and we dropped to our knees. Mamá smirked and held up her rifle. "I found the safety."

Bruce scoffed behind her. "Oh yeah? And who showed you where it was?"

"Whatever," Mamá replied. "Just make sure you close the door behind you." She dropped to my level and embraced me. "Carlito, mi amor. I'm so glad you're alright." She kissed my forehead and turned to Nanako. "Thank you for protecting to him."

"Hold on," I interrupted. "I held my own while you were gone."

"Yeah right, squirt." Nanako teased. "You're welcome, Rosa."

"It's a miracle either of you are still alive," Bruce asserted. He forced a cabinet in front of the door and closed the curtains at each window. "It's good to see you safe, kid." He touched my shoulder and I flinched. "What?"

The traumatic events of the visitor center all came whirling back to me as I stared up at him. "She knew you," I said.

Bruce's brows furrowed as he set his rifle down. "What are you going on about-"

"Suarez called you amigo!" I exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down."

"Why?" I asked and backed away. "She...she said everyone in her unit was bound."

Bruce sighed. "It's not like that."

"So you _did _know her?" Nanako inquired as Mamá slowly took aim. "Were you part of their plan? Did you set us up? His Dad is dead because of you!"

"No no! Jesus Christ!" Bruce yelled and threw his hands up in protest. "This isn't what it looks like!"

"Then what is it?" Mamá growled. She stepped in front of Nanako and I, never once lowering the gun. "Now you listen closely and choose your words wisely. Did. You. Know. Her?" Bruce nodded somberly and Mamá squinted. "Mr. Boutwell, I trust my son more than anyone else right now. I want to trust you, but I'm going to need answers."

Bruce took a deep, solemn breath. He lowered his hands and Mamá steadied her pistol. Rather than grab a weapon, he simply removed the glove on his right hand and tossed it to the floor. Lightning outside illuminated the broad, jagged scar running across his palm. He made a fist, shut his eyes, and recounted a life once lived.


	5. Chapter 5 - Sinners in Arms

**Chapter: 5 Sinners in Arms**

_Three months earlier..._

_Misiones, Argentina_

"Boutwell," my commander called yet I did not answer. I meticulously scrubbed my rifle until she had to raise her voice. "Lieutenant!"

I heard her and she knew it. It was fun getting under her skin sometimes, at least out of combat scenarios. "Commander Suarez," I said with a wry grin.

"Did our last job make you deaf or something, Bruce?" she asked.

I thought back on that madness, pushing back the unnecessary 'complications'. "Let's go with or something," I replied.

I sat back with a sigh and the commander joined me. The dusty warehouse came alive around us with other hired guns. Different, brutal backgrounds bound together in the same blue uniforms. Blowtorches flickered against battered jeeps while rifles fired in the practice range. Mercs cackled from the sidelines while others wrestled to work on their close combat skills. "Quite a crew you've built over the years," I said.

Pride overwhelmed her and she smirked. "The most fearsome group of grunts ever assembled," she declared. "There's a reason the world's  
'high rollers' bid for our contracts."

The warehouse gates opened and I nudged her. "Speaking of which," I mumbled.

"Coño," Suarez whispered. "This puto again?"

Our guest strutted in like he owned the place. He combed back his thinning, dirty blonde hair and proceeded towards us. One of our newer faces guided him to Suarez, at which the guest strongly detested lacking control. We stood up as he stared us down. His brows raised over his shades while I examined him. His polo was so neatly tucked in, that every detail of his form beneath was visible. He paid no mind to me, however, and focused solely on my boss.

"Commander Suarez," he began. "Lewis Dodgson of Biosyn Genetics. You-"

"I know who you are and I don't care. No one here does." Suarez intoned. "You and your suits have been calling for the last two months." As my commander's voice intensified, so too did the glares of my squadmates as they encroached Dodgson. "I've heard your..._wild_ proposition plenty of times."

"Did you consider how profitable it must be for me to come all the way to meet you in person?" Dodgson asked. Suarez remained unfazed and her leer alone called his bluff. "So I was originally this far south for some...we'll say 'genetics tests' in Chile. But when I heard your notorious Viboras were in Argentina, I had to drop in." Dodgson smirk simmered with everyones' lack of enthusiasm. "Look, the job we're offering should be a cakewalk for guns of your caliber. InGen is sitting on a gold mine of genetic embryos. Word is its CEO, John Hammond is planning an endorsement trip. We'd need you to strike preferably before to avoid-"

"Again," Suarez said. "This is nothing new to me. It's your turn to listen, Mr..."

"Dodgson."

"Whatever. My team travels the world. Do you think we are in Argentina for fun? We are currently working a contract and will take whatever time we need doing so." She looked ready to dismiss him, but being the hustler I knew her to be, asked a final question. "How much money are you offering to be this goddamn persistent?"

Dodgson wrinkled his nose and leaned in. "Seven-hundred and fifty-thousand upfront and another half upon the safe delivery of the embryos," he said.

Suarez bit her tongue and nodded. "We'll be in touch."

"We've left our number enough times," Dodgson said before departing. We watched him get escorted out of the warehouse and off into whatever ramshackle transport he'd hired. "Get me the hell out of here," we heard him say. "Tell the landing pad that Lewis Dodgson is enroute."

"¿Quien?" the driver asked before they drove off.

"See?" Suarez chuckled. "No one cares." The clap of her hands echoed throughout the warehouse. "Listen up grunts!" she barked. "I want us ready to leave at 0800 so double time it!"

As the rest of the unit hustled about, I walked alongside the commander. "You're actually considering Biosyn's offer, aren't you?" I asked.

"If what that prick says is true, it's a hell of a lot more than what we've been making. Plus how hard could pocketing something from InGen be?"

I gave Suarez a shrug. "Can't say I've heard of them."

"When you have ears in the underworld as I do, you hear things. InGen's teeming with loco eggheads trying to make dinosaurs." I couldn't help but laugh at the idea. "If we finish this retrieval in good time, we can do our own research on InGen and even take that offer."

"I'm not complaining about half of three million dollars," I assured.

"Good," Suarez said. "Because it's a hell of a lot more than we're making for this contract. But money is money, so get to the jeep because you're driving."

Two stern, younger faces awaited us at the vehicle. Each lowered their assault rifle and saluted the commander as she spoke. "Bruce, meet the newest hopefuls. Kaya Sipoyo, our South African sister...and Ujio Nomura from the land of the rising sun. I'm putting them under your wings on this one."

I analyzed the prospective mercenaries. Though new to the Viboras, they were no strangers to violence. Their eyes carried the weight of war and savagery, all of which had only hardened them. Kaya's knife wound was still fresh against her palm. The pink scar against her dark skin would forever seal the bond between her blood and the Viboras. Contrary to as angsty as Kaya was, Ujio appeared collected and battle ready. He kept his glare focused on me as if I could order him at any second. I liked that.

"You drive," Suarez ordered me as I slid into the jeep. We joined up with the rest of the convoy and snaked through a series of dirt roads. I glanced into the rearview mirror to keep an eye on Kaya and Ujio. "Alright, let's go over the mission one more time." Suarez unfolded a sandy map from the glove compartment and dragged her finger across it. "A team of archaeologists has been excavating the Incan ruins of Chimpuñusta in search of a royal scepter. Our client wants said scepter in his pocket, no questions asked."

"Of course he doesn't want to get his hands dirty," Kaya muttered.

"Most clients don't," I quipped. "That's where we come in. What are we up against, commander?"

Suarez smirked. "Intel says the archaeologists are a trio of deep pocketed Brits on a quest for discovery and all that mierda. Don't get too comfortable though. They've hired plenty of local guns to guard the site. Expect nothing more than your standard rifle and revolver. Whatever garbage they carry out here."

"That's cute," I chuckled. I noticed Ujio staring out at the jungle. "Pretty quiet, newbie."

"My silence is focus for the task at hand," Ujio replied.

"Fair enough," I said with a shrug.

"That focus is admirable," Suarez remarked. "Bruce here could use some. Still, pay close attention to his guidance." I shot her a glare and she returned one. "I have to keep you on your toes somehow, Boutwell. You know Mako's gunning for your spot as lieutenant."

I couldn't help but groan. "Is he actually going with that name?" I asked. "I don't know what's stupider: that or the mohawk."

"Stow it," Suarez ordered. "We're approaching the search area." We pulled over at the dirt road's edge and gazed at the looming palm trees. Car doors slammed behind us and the newbies formed up at my side. Suarez took a knee and withdrew her map. I followed her finger across a faded riverbank and the marked circles. "Take your team right after the ruins," she said. "Mako will cover your rear while my squad hangs left."

"10-4," I replied. "See you front and center."

I heard Mako stumble out of his jeep with a groan. "Great. I'm watching pretty boy's ass again," he griped.

"Show some respect," I demanded. "We've got newbies."

Mako snorted and waved a finger at my subordinates. "Well jot this one down, kids...Brucie here is an old dog. He may think he's hot shit because he was a Green Beret, but I see right through that. Now the waters are bloodied, and like most sharks...Mako here is drawn in for the kill. I'm coming for that spot of his."

I stared into my own reflection across his mirrored sunglasses. "Nomura and Sipoyo," I said calmly. "The only note you need to take from this _interaction_ is that confidence is quiet. Now come on. We've got a job to do." We sunk into the leaves as Mako grumbled behind us.

I pushed a pair of branches back and set foot on muddied ground. The humid air chilled as an eerie breeze accompanied the surreal sights of Chimpuñusta. Decrepit hovels and crumbling towers lay strewn down deforested fields. An array of glyph-ridden pillars guided us towards an ebony pyramid. A light drizzle made its ancient stones shine as I took point. I threw up a fist as a shadow swayed within one of its damp corridors. The team halted behind me as I dropped to a crouch.

"Possible tango in sight," I whispered.

Mako pat his combat knife. "I got this one."

"No," I was quick to intervene. "I'm on point. This only gets lethal if they give us no choice. Keep it clean and humane. Got it?"

Ujio and Kaya nodded as I advanced. I pressed myself against the pyramid's wall and shimmied towards the corridor. My target's cough echoed down to me, and I realized I had a chance to advance. The intensifying rain drowned out the sound of my footsteps until I entered cover. I scanned my target from head to toe as he leaned against the forgotten walls. His torn khakis hadn't been washed in lord knew how long. The man's silver hairs dangled against his dirt-stained collar, all pointing towards the canteen on his belt. My eyes scanned his belt and found a rusty revolver swaying at his side. I stepped forward until I was practically breathing down his tan neck.

I raised my soggy arm and several droplets struck his shoulder. By the time the old timer noticed, I already had my arm over his neck. His veiny arm squirmed under pressure as I tightened my grip. His fingers grew pale and barely grazed his revolver's hilt. "Shhh," I whispered as I pulled back. "Don't fight it. No luches..." He didn't suffer too long, as I disrupted enough blood circulation for him to lose consciousness. The man fell back into my arms as I lowered him like an Incan offering. I peered down at his limp body and scavenged the revolver as a contingency. The rest of my group entered behind to observe my handiwork.

"Cleanly executed," Ujio admired.

"Clean yes," I assured. "But he's very much alive. Abuelo here will wake up sore and disoriented, but by then we'll be long gone. These folks don't have to die. They're just doing their job the same as us."

Kaya scoffed when I held up the revolver. "That's adorable," she quipped as I unloaded and tossed it into the jungle.

Mako kicked the elder and snorted. "You've really gotten soft, Brucie."

I didn't grant him the pleasure of acknowledgement and pressed on. We readied our binoculars and scanned beyond the ruins. A series of portables, trucks, and spotlights circled an area north of the pyramids. "Looks like the dig site," I said and prepped my radio. "We're in position, Commander Suarez."

"As are we," her voice hissed back. I caught a glimpse of her squad moving in from the opposite side of the site.

"Lieutenant Boutwell," Kaya said. "We've got multiple tangos guarding the fields ahead."

"Not a problem, newbie." I replied. "All of you fan out and meet at the site. Subdue all tangos non-lethally."

I slid into the bushes as rain bombarded my back. Drenched leaves clung to my face as a silhouette took strides towards me. "Shit," I whispered and went prone. I followed the man's mucky boots as they stopped beside me. The tip of a poorly-maintained, loosely-gripped rifle struck the soil. With a deep breath, I yanked him forward by the foot. He struck the ground with a splat and I threw myself on top of him. He haphazardly dropped his rifle and I covered his mouth to prevent any screaming. He flailed as I pushed his face deeper into the mud and kneed him in the gut. I was profoundly surprised when the man landed a left hook on me. To his misfortune, I staggered in the direction of his discarded rifle. Thinking hastily, I grabbed the wooded weapon and knocked him out with its butt. "Sweet dreams," I panted.

I was about to crouch again when a shotgun went off in the distance. Parrots cawed wildly and flew overhead as I reached for my radio. "Shot fired," I called. "Can I get a status report?"

"Yeah!" Mako growled. "It was him or me!" Several shotgun blasts followed his words and gunfire erupted from all around. Shouts and a whistle rang out from the dig site as I took cover.

"Damn you," I cursed and withdrew my rifle. "This didn't have to go this way." A pair of gunmen emerged with their revolvers drawn. I had no choice but to open fire and dispatch them. Kaya and Ujio formed up at my sides to establish a defensive position. "Push up!" I ordered.

"Riflemen on the left," Ujio called out. He and Kaya were quick to riddle them full of bullets.

Grenades echoed from the dig site and screams soon followed. "Sounds like the commander's gone all in," Kaya jeered.

"It's a massacre," I huffed. I had to give credit to the locals, however. Despite being severely outgunned, they were still attempting to protect their assets. We ravaged through droves of them, leaving a trail of bloodied corpses in our wake.

Flames engulfed the outskirts as we entered the site. There we found Suarez securing and interrogating prisoners. The other men trembled as she personally beat one of their coworkers. She pulled him up by his battered chin and asked, "¿Dónde están los Británicos?" Having little patience per usual, she drew her pistol and pressed it to his temple. "¿Quieres morir? ¡Dimelo ahora!" she screeched. Her victim wearily pointed towards an azure trailer and she dropped him.

Mako came to my side while we waited and shrugged. "What?" he grumbled.

"These men didn't have to die," I said.

"Pfft. Get over it," he scorned. "Pansy."

"Alright!" Suarez called to the trailer. "We've got you cornered. Come out peacefully before things get any worse!"

Feet shuffled inside and the doorknob jingled. Out emerged a couple who won for being the palest in Argentina. Both had their arms raised but the man decided to speak. "No more violence is necessary," he said and nodded to his partner. "My wife and I are just archaeologists."

"That's exactly why we're here," Suarez said. "And the sooner you hand over what you found, the sooner you can go back to your pathetic lives."

The man's mustache quivered. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"We've made no progress," his wife added.

Suarez scoffed. "So all these men you hired just died for nothing?" she asked. "Is that so? My team came all the way out here for nothing. Is _that_ so?"

"We can pay you whatever you like," the man insisted. "Name your price and let's be done here."

"You've already been outbid," Suarez intoned.

"No scepter is worth our lives," his wife said as he froze. "Just give it to them, Edward."

Suarez cackled as the man clenched his fists. "I never mentioned a scepter," she mocked. "So you _do_ have it, and your wife has more common sense than you."

Edward took a deep breath and backed away. I watched as he remorsefully retrieved a golden scepter from the trailer. No amount of rain could dull the brilliance of every fine jewel encrusted within. "This is my life's work," Edward said.

Suarez huffed impatiently and stuck out her hand. "I'm sure it was."

Edward looked down at the relic as if it was a piece of him. His feelings subsided as he turned to his wife. When she nodded, it was as if she gave him permission to finally let go. She assured him that they'd have each other as he forfeited the artifact to Suarez.

The commander smirked and verified the scepter for authenticity. "Was that so hard?" she asked. Thunder rumbled overhead as she aimed her pistol.

"No!" I blurted all too late. Suarez fired a bullet into Edward's midsection. His wife had started screaming when she shot her as well. They collapsed together as I ran up to the commander. "They gave you what you wanted!"

"After I had to ask twice," Suarez hissed. Her dark, soulless eyes gazed down at the bleeding couple. "Now they can watch each other die." She spun away from me to address the others. "Loot the site!"

"What about the prisoners?" Mako asked.

Suarez scowled at the beaten men. "No witnesses," she said.

Our prisoners pled for mercy only to be ended by a swift volley of bullets. "Jesus Christ," I whispered.

My attention returned to the mortally wounded archaeologists. "Edward?" his dying wife whimpered. "Edward!" She took his limp hand in hers and hung her head. "Please don't go." I'd seen enough death to know he'd already passed and it was only a matter of time before she did. Her raven locks clung to her weak shoulders in disheveled clusters. She looked up at me with bloodshot eyes and quivering lips. Her heart-wrenching stare willed for me to do something...anything, as if I was any different from this band of hired guns. With her final breath, she exhaled the word "mother" and collapsed beside her husband.

I couldn't watch anymore and stormed into their trailer. The resonance of gunfire took me back to my time as a Green Beret. Death was inevitable, but unnecessary death always seemed to follow Commander Suarez. I tried to deny its existence and that I could keep her sadism in check as lieutenant. How wrong I was about it all. For Suarez, the money was just a means to more blood. I contemplated taking a break after this mission to get time to think. Losing myself in the monotony of looting was a start.

I set my rifle down, and sifted through drawers for spare bills. A thud from the lower cabinets made me kneel to investigate. I slowly opened them and heard a mousy gasp. A pair of white sneakers shimmied further back into the shadows as I leaned in. "Holy shit," I whispered and observed a little girl. She was terrified beyond belief, and squeezed her unicorn plush until its button eyes popped out. One of the buttons rolled to my feet as she sobbed uncontrollably. _A trio of Brits_, I reminded myself of the briefing. I was gazing at the child my commander had so mercilessly orphaned.

Two voices crept into my mind like wayward souls. Suarez called for me to eliminate all witnesses while Edward's wife begged for me to save her daughter. With a deep breath, I slowly raised a finger to my mouth. "Shhh. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

"I want my Mum and Dad," she sniffled as tears drenched her cheeks.

"They're not here right now," I painfully lied. "But I need to get you out of here. Okay?"

She nodded rapidly and clenched her unicorn. "Okay." Her eyes focused on the loose button at my feet.

"I'll fix it for you later," I assured and placed the button in my pocket. She crept out of the cabinet and gingerly into my arms. Once in my embrace, the child immediately broke down again. Her red curls pressed against my shoulder as I rocked her. "I've got you." She shuttered when gunshots boomed outside. "Stay quiet," I ordered and held her tight. I was almost to the back door when the adjacent one swung open. Ujio climbed in to check on me and froze on sight. "Nomura," I said softly. "Stand down."

He started to raise his gun and I bolted out the door. Bullets struck the frame behind me and the child screamed in my arms. Ujio's voice crackled over the radio, "Boutwell has been compromised! He is fleeing with a witness southwest of the site!"

"Dammit," I cursed and doubled my pace. The rain picked up as lighting flashed overhead. Bullets rang out in the distance and mercenary voices echoed from all around me. "It's alright," I assured the child. "It's gonna be alright." With both arms holding her and my rifle back in the trailer, my only hope was to disappear into the jungle.

"Boutwell?" Suarez's voice called in. "What the hell is going on, lieutenant?"

"I always knew he'd turn," Mako responded. "Bastard was getting soft. If he's got a witness we can't let him get away."

I stumbled into a clearing where a duo of mercs stood over a log. "He's there!" one of them barked. I fell over as bullets darted above me. Palm trees splintered and I buried the child's face in my chest.

Amidst the chaos, I spotted a muddy pathway and rolled towards it. All seemed quiet until a figure lunged from the shadows. Commander Suarez tackled me into the mud and the child fell from my arms. "Hide!" I called to her before taking a punch to the face.

I kneed Suarez off of me and gained my footing. She took aim with her rifle just as I grabbed and forced it up. She fired wildly, evening branches until I elbowed her across the face to disarm. "You swore a blood oath," she growled. "Now there's only one way out of it." We exchanged punches and wrestled against the soggy soil. She reached for her pistol but I kicked it out of her hand. Suarez countered with a swift right hook against my jaw.

I fell before a jagged stone and noticed the child hiding behind. "Run!" I ordered as Suarez placed me in a chokehold. The girl dropped her unicorn and dashed into the bushes. The patter of her sneakers faded with the overwhelming sound of a single gunshot. My struggle lessened with that sound and Suarez's cackle sparked my rage.

A radio call came in from one of the nearby mercenaries. "Witness eliminated, commander."

"All that for nothing," she jeered.

With nothing left to protect, I furiously flipped her over. Accompanied by a mighty roar of anguish, I delivered a punch to her gut. Suarez was quick to recover and kicked me back into a nearby tree. The back of my head met the trunk and sent me into a weary daze. I watched dizzily as Suarez's body listed towards me with a knife drawn. She pinned me against a tree and pressed the blade to my neck. "Dime, Boutwell. Has this betrayal been brewing for a while?"

"You're insane," I coughed.

"After all of my generosity, you still have the audacity to turn your back on me. You know as well as anyone that this will not go unpunished." Her knife began to knick my neck when we heard something rustling in the bushes. The young life I hoped for proved to be wishful thinking as a set of tiny paws emerged. A jaguar cub emerged with a stout growl, but it was the ensuing snarl that truly startled us. The branches above the cub bent as a heavy tail swayed. An adult jaguar bore its teeth and we remained completely still. Its yellow eyes and jet black fur shined in the darkness. My heart pounded as its hind legs bent to strike.

Eying her pistol, Suarez threw me towards the jaguar as bait and ran for it. Unfortunately for her, the jaguar flung over me and pounced directly on her back. I crawled away, listening to her scream as the jungle cat snapped at her. She held the creature at bay with one arm while desperately reaching for her pistol with the other. The jaguar swung its paw and slashed Suarez directly across her face. She let out an agonizing screech as blood coated the leaves. Suarez mustered whatever strength remained to grab the pistol and unload multiple bullets into the jaguar's body. The cat fell dead as the commander grasped her face. She writhed in torment as shredded flesh folded over her fingers. Her face and neck were drenched in fresh, gory globs of scarlet. I scavenged her assault rifle and disappeared deeper into the jungle.

With each passing step into the bleak unknown, I left greater violence behind. Outgunned and out of my mind, unsure of anything the future would hold. As I ran further from it all, I felt like a bigger idiot for ever being part of the Viboras. I had become so blinded by money after military service, that I had lost all sense of reason. The torturous sight of what Suarez had done to the archaeologists plagued me to no end. I couldn't even keep their daughter safe in an act of redemption.

I made my way onto a dirt road as one of our jeeps skidded to a halt. "There!" was all a mercenary could say before I opened fire on everyone inside. Glass blasted in every direction and as I approached the stalled vehicle. I pulled the dead driver from his seat and hastily took his place. After making sure the passengers were deceased, I slammed on the gas pedal and got the hell out of Misiones. The Viboras were bound by blood, and it was only a matter of time before they came for me to. I had to go into hiding, yet thoughts of their atrocities would continue to haunt me. Just like every trauma from the war, no suffering could be forgotten. But there was a distinct conviction still within me. The kind that made become a Green Beret in the first place. It was such motivation that would grant me the purpose to carry on.


	6. Chapter 6 - Eyes in the Sky

**Chapter: 6 Eyes in the Sky**

_Present day..._

Each word from Bruce's story only made me feel greater sorrow for him. I could see the trauma in his eyes as he continued to explain himself. "My exile was short-lived," he said. "You can't keep a Green Beret out of the fight for too long because it's ingrained. I also wasn't doing any good held up somewhere while monsters like the Viboras were still at large."

"And that led you to InGen?" Mamá asked.

Bruce nodded firmly. "At the time, I assumed Suarez had been out of commission but should've known better. Regardless, I feared the Viboras would accept Biosyn's offer and target whatever endorsement trip Hammond had planned. With limited resources at my disposal, I tried to intercept any communications detailing the plans. It turned out Hammond's endorsement had failed and-" he gestured to us. "A team would be sent to recover the embryos still in the lab." Bruce sighed heavily. "I got in touch with Hammond, who was more interested in having a Green Beret for protection than anything I had to say. But it was my way in."

"Wait wait wait," Nanako's tone stiffened. "So you're telling me you joined this operation knowing those killers were going to attack?"

Bruce pursed his lips. "There was speculation based on what I'd heard three months prior."

"But there was always that possibility," Mamá interrupted. Her glare was fiercely domineering. "And you didn't think to tell us any of this? Despite speculation?"

"Despite three months?" Nanako spat.

Bruce was cornered with both women boxing him in. He bore his teeth and pulled at his hair in response to it all. "Stop it," I spoke up.

"No!" Mamá barked as thunder boomed outside. "This man betrayed us, Carlito." She jabbed an accusatory finger at him while Nanako egged her on. "He had every reason to tell us what was going on, and because he didn't your father is dead!"

Bruce buried his face in his hands as shame overwhelmed him. "It's not...No. I didn't think you'd believe me. I'm...I'm sorry."

I couldn't take anymore of the torment. All I could see was a room full of hurting people that was crashing to pieces due under truth. Mamá was about to yell again as I threw my arms over Bruce. He initially shuttered until he realized who it was. "No more!" I demanded. "He's sorry!"

Nanako flashed a sarcastic grin. "Sorry doesn't fix things, kid." she said.

I stared Nanako down. "It's a start," I said. "What's to say Hammond or anyone would've stopped Bruce from joining if he'd said the truth? Maybe they wouldn't have believed him. He did what he thought was right." I thought on my words as emotion wrenched my heart. "I know Papá is gone, but falling apart now means death for all of us. Bruce came here to help and I trust him." I chose my final statement wisely, partially regretting it. "You can't tell me otherwise, Mamá."

She inhaled profusely and fought back her own tears. She took some time in the other room while Nanako trailed after her. I knew Papá's death was still fresh on both of us, but Bruce didn't have to pay for it. "Are you alright?" I asked him.

Bruce looked so bewildered as he pat my shoulder. "Yeah, I'm good. Thank you." He hung his head and shook it shamefully. "I told myself I wouldn't let another family suffer like the one in Misiones." He withdrew a button from his pocket and stared at it mournfully. "I let them get your old man and it's all my fault."

I reiterated Mamá's words to me onto him. "This is the fault of evil people. Not you."

Bruce collected himself and nodded in agreement. "You're a good kid. I'm gonna get you-" He motioned to Nanako and Mamá as they returned. "And everyone else out of this. I promise."

Our heads turned as Mako's radio beeped. "All units," Commander Suarez began. "Proceed with your sweep of the river."

"Commander," another unit called in. "We have eyes on a shack westward. Moving to search."

"Shit," Nanako blurted and crawled to one of the curtains. I joined her as we cautiously peered over the window sill. Green, night-vision lenses bounced in the distance.

"Get away from there!" Bruce whispered sharply and pulled us back. "Stuff what supplies you can in your bags and we'll make a break for the backdoor."

He paused as Mamá took her firearm and seemingly had it aimed towards him. "I'll cover the front if you watch our rear," she said.

"Yes, ma'am." Bruce replied while I breathed a sigh of relief. We delicately opened the backdoor, swapping our warm sanctuary for the freezing downpour, and fled into the night. I could only hope the consistent rain would shroud our escape and submerge all traces of footprints. I felt like a baby stegosaurus trudging between a family of protective grownups.

"Down here," Mamá whispered and led us to the base of a cascading brook. Terror gripped me as a pair of headlights flashed across darkness from above. "Go!"

We hit the mud and crawled where stone met whitewater. "Stay here," Bruce said. "I'm gonna check it out." He scaled ahead while the rest of us backed further into the rocks. Water rushed over us, forming a natural barrier against the outside world. Minutes stretched forever until a familiar hand permeated the cascade. "It's a park jeep," he said and dropped beside us. "It looks like the driver was trying to dislodge the wheels."

"Any sign of the driver?" Nanako asked.

Bruce glowered. "I found him all mangled inside. There wasn't much left of him, but I did manage to snag his ID." He flashed a teal card and read the name aloud. "Dennis Nedry. Poor bastard."

Mamá lowered the radio and kept it close to her ear. "This is a good spot to get some rest. Especially you, Carlito."

Bruce took notice of my apprehensiveness and came closer. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll take first watch. Your Mom and I can-"

"I'll take first watch," Mamá insisted.

"With all due respect," Bruce began. "We need to work as a team and establish a system. I have no doubt in your ability to handle yourself, Rosa. I only ask that you permit me to use my combat skills to help us all." Mamá looked to me as a priority and gave Bruce the go ahead. He thanked her and examined his watch. "We'll sleep on two hour increments, letting the youth rest as much as possible. Anything happens we get them up and bolt back to the river." Bruce and Mamá kept discussing as Nanako nodded off. The sound of rushing of water helped give way to a mound of rising exhaustion. My heavy eyes shut as my head fell back, and the world went dark.

Contrary to it's initial purpose, the flowing water awakened me with different motives in mind. I fended off grogginess as an insurmountable urge took hold. Sunlight crept through gaps in the whitewater and made me wince. "Morning, kid." Bruce whispered. "I let your Mom sleep a little longer," he said through a yawn. "I can handle it."

"Green Beret, you said?" I inquired.

"Gulf War." Bruce grinned confidently. "Operation Desert Storm."

"Okay now that's cool," I said before cringing.

Bruce noticed my twisting legs. "Gotta piss?" He chuckled when my head bobbed rapidly. "In a warzone we'd normally roll to the side, but lucky for you we need to get moving anyway." He woke Mamá and Nanako as I stood up. "Wait up!"

"Sorry," I groaned. "I just really have to-" A beastly bray echoed nearby and I almost wet myself. Bruce, Mamá and Nanako emerged with their guns drawn only to find me with my pants down. They turned as I did my business, wondering where the noise had come from.

"There it is again," Nanako said. She started towards the noise when she suddenly slipped on a can. "What the hell?" She grumpily recovered and examined what she'd tripped on. A wry smirk crept onto her face as she held up a dented can of Barbasol. "Hey," she gawked. "Anyone need a shave?"

"Quit messing around," Bruce ordered.

Nanako rolled her eyes and threw the positively useless Barbasol off into the bushes. We gathered at the source of all the bizarre roaring and found a herd of iguanodons. One of the larger beasts in the group was squaring off in a shouting match with a scrawnier looking predator. With twitching claws and a whipping tail, the frilled dilophosaurus took a snap at its prey. With equal ferocity, the iguanodon lunged forward and delivered a swift swipe with its spiked thumb. The dilophosaurus screeched and a flailed as blood splattered across the leaves. Its frills unfolded in a final effort to undo its foe, but the gashes on its underbelly were too great. The dilophosaurus collapsed beneath our hiding spot and a black spurt struck the trees.

"The hell was that?" Bruce whispered. He started to reach for the substance until Mamá pulled him back.

"Some kind of poison," she said and pointed at the plants decaying beneath.

Bruce wiped the sweat from his brow. "Right then," he remarked. "Let's press onward."

I straggled for a moment and watched the herd of iguanodons list across the loamy terrain. One of them raised its head from the shadows, permitting sunbeams to sway across its noble snout. It bellowed proudly and the rest of its species followed suit. Nanako pinched my arm to force me forward as we continued away.

"Hammond didn't create life on this island," Mamá said. "He created death."

"One look at that poison spitter could tell you that," Nanako said.

"That's nothing," I assured. "You should've seen the carcharodontosaurus."

Nanako glared at me like I'd lost my mind. "The car who?" she inquired.

"It was huge," I recounted. "Big enough to fend off a T. Rex! We should be extra careful for it."

Nanako rolled her eyes. "Yeah well I'm not calling it that long ass name. Can you imagine being like 'Look out! It's the carcharodontosaurus!' I'd be dead by the time I got to carc."

I gave her a shrug. "Then we'll call it the carc then."

"I want everyone to listen closely," Bruce began. "This is war and our enemy is vastly formidable. If we're going to survive this, we need to function as a single unit just like them."

Nanako scoffed. "And how are we supposed to do that, _general_?"

Bruce ignored her sass and instead focused on my eagerness. "For starters," he said. "Hand signals will be crucial for communicating under stealth. If I throw up a fist, you stop dead in your tracks. For those with guns, a pat on my head means cover me." He pointed back to the deceased dilophosaurus and made a flipping motion with his hands. "That means dead body."

"Hey Carlito," Nanako said and threw up a middle finger. "Know what this one means?"

"This is serious," I intoned. "Bruce is trying to help us survive."

Nanako rolled her eyes only to widen them when the bushes rustled before her. She shrieked embarrassingly and stumbled into the mud as a wave of orange reptiles surged. Their long legs splattered the puddles beside Nanako's body as she rushed to protect her face. Mamá and Bruce prepared to engage until they realized the creatures posed no predatory threat. Instead they dashed towards a clearing, changing direction like a flock of ostriches running across the plains.

Nanako spat out a chunk of sod and swatted away my helping hand. "What...the hell...are those?" she grumbled.

"I don't know," I replied.

"You've been naming all the other lizards on this island. Now suddenly you don't know?"

"The ostrich-looking ones," I blurted. "I really don't know."

"I like it," Mamá quipped. We followed the flock of lanky dinos out into a wide stretch of grassy fields. Rolling hills so perfectly married a bright blue sky, leaving no trace of last night's downpour. The quiet rustle of wind was accompanied only by the repeated tread of _ostrich-looking ones _dashing over the fields. A tremendous tower loomed amidst the vast emptiness. "We could get a vantage point from there," Mamá suggested.

Bruce bit his lip. "There's not much cover leading to it. It's very risky."

"If it grants any sense of direction, it's a chance we must take." Mamá said.

Bruce's eyes listed between us and the observatory. "Alright," he obliged. "But we hustle and we stay low. Anything happens out there we haul it back to the jungle."

I followed Bruce's lead through the eerily silent plains. Despite the grim circumstances, it was refreshing to swap the jungle's encroaching humidity for a free-flowing breeze. Still, the soldier was right to worry about how exposed we all were. The _ostrich-lookers _bestowed a false sense of security upon me. If they were still frolicking, at least there weren't any predators of the reptilian sort nearby. The glint of the tower's glass sliding doors left violet sunspots flashing in my eyes. I hastily rubbed them in time to read the unkept sign overhead: THE NUBLAR EYE

Mamá stepped in first and snatched a pamphlet from the reception desk. A smile found its way across her chapped lips as she folded one of the pages. "Mira, mijo." Her callused thumb bent towards the image. "Gay-ee-mee-moos," she said. "The ostrich one outside."

I could't help but snicker. "Gallimimus, Mamá."

"Oye," she asserted. "You didn't even know what it was called."

"I got an o_ye _for ya," Nanako spoke through stuffed cheeks. "While you two are playing zookeeper, I'm making some _real _progress." She retrieved several snack bags from beneath the desk and continued downing some chips. She brandished a tan, red-brimmed, _Jurassic Park_ souvenir cap she'd nabbed from a shelf. "Think fast." She tossed each of us a bag, but Bruce nearly missed his for being distracted.

"We should be able to spot the docks from up top," Bruce said. "Rosa and I will hold position here while you two head to the apex and report what you see. And toss me another bag because I hate salt and vinegar." Nanako nudged me toward the stairwell and I gulped. The wind rattled its steel railing, sending a chill across my body. Bruce pat my shoulder to derive my focus. "You got this, kid. It's time to earn that Super Mario on your shirt." He completely killed the moment with a chomp of his sour cream and onion chip.

Since I was a small child, I had a grandiose fear of heights. I kept my focus on the railing and each cloud which floated by. Nanako's impatient huffs tempted me into looking down, but I was able to resist. My trembling hands worriedly ran across the tower's chilly metal. Its staircase wrapped around the spire like a serpent scaling a branch. The wind picked up enough to force my curls into my face. Nanako's grunts became harder to hear and my stomach dropped. My fingers clenched the highest balcony atop the tower's grand apex, and beauty took hold for a mere moment. The stillness of it all embraced me like an old friend, as if I was back in my room aboard the _Entente_...with nothing to worry about except saving Princess Daisy. Atop the spire I felt like Mario himself, prepared to pick which world I'd venture to next. Nanako leaned on the balcony beside me, rattling it and sending fear creeping back. Like an idiot I so foolishly looked down at the vertigo-inducing ground and gasped.

Nanako called in over the radio. "We're here. Hold up while I get some coins for the binoculars." She scowled and fingered her pockets. "A dollar fifty to look at trees. What a damn ripoff." She passed me some change and moved on to another set of binoculars.

I approached the pair nearest me with swelling curiosity. Anticipation sparked with each push of a coin and I pressed my face against the lenses. The wind-stricken metal was chilly against my brows, yet I persisted to look further. I gingerly tilted the binoculars over the jungle and examined lush mountain peaks. The distant echo of a long-necked herbivore accompanied the gentle giant's proud silhouette. "Woah," I whispered. "A brachiosaurus."

"Woah," Nanako replied. "A no-one-cares-a-saurus. Never seen one in the wild before." I rolled my eyes at her as she continued to scan her terrain. "Nothing but forests out this way. Why don't you check the third set."

I trudged past her, taking a handful of coins in the process and sliding them into position. With a heavy sigh and the wind battering my face, I pressed against the scopes and zoomed in. I watched white waves softly rock a familiar vessel. "The _Entente_!" I rejoiced.

Nanako came to my side and called in, "We have a visual on the docks and the _Entente _is still there."

"Super," Bruce responded. "Which direction?"

Nanako groaned and I heard her pacing around the observatory. "I don't freaking know. Look out to where the grassy plateau is. A flock of those Galileos is grazing in the dock's direction."

"My compass has that marked as east," Bruce replied. "Nice job, you two. Report back so we can move out."

I zoomed in on the flock of gallimimus and observed their grazing patterns. Their lanky necks bobbed sequentially over the fertile knolls. Despite their unity, several stragglers listed away from a single mass sprawled across the ground.

"Time to go, dork." Nanako insisted yet I remained still.

"Gimme a second," I whispered back.

"Hello?" Nanako jeered.

I ignored her and zoomed in until the scopes made their final click. "What is that?" I asked.

Nanako's tone deepened. "You're creeping me out."

The gallimimus parted and revealed a pair of legs blended into the grass. I squinted for a closer look as the camouflaged blur took form. A pair of arms stretched toward the stock of a rifle. The summer sun shined a glare over a single scope as my stomach dropped. A lone flash sparked from the muzzle and I gasped in unison with the delayed gunshot. Nanako shrieked as I pulled her down to the floor with me. A bullet pierced the binocular lens and exploded out the opposite side. I clasped my eye where the bullet would've met it's lethal mark.

"What's going on up there?" Bruce exclaimed.

"Sniper!" Nanako yelled back into the radio. Another sinister clack echoed and its grim bullet followed. The shot struck the metal flooring and sent Nanako scrambling to her feet. She hauled me up by the collar as if to choke me and lunged towards a set of walled off railing. We froze and backed up against it. All fell silent and our eyes stared at the smoking bullet hole a mere foot from us. My body shook involuntarily as my palms pressed against the chilled flooring.

"Don't panic," I panted. "Don't panic! What will you think of yourself tomorrow, Carlito?" I repeated Papá's words. "Don't pa-"

"Shut up!" Nanako snapped. Her glare was as powerful as the grip she had on my wrist. "Breathe," she commanded. I slowly exhaled and she loosened her grip.

"Please respond," Bruce radioed in.

"We're here," Nanako replied.

"That sniper just called in our position so we can expect company. I'm coming to get you."

"No!" Nanako barked. "You come up the stairs and you're as good as dead. Plus the elevator's busted so we'll figure something out."

"Kid, we're running out of time," Bruce intoned. "Reinforcements are-"

"I said we'll figure it out!" Nanako angrily shut the radio off. Her head swiveled back and forth as she struggled to come up with solutions.

"There's a lot of open space between here and ground level," I said.

"No shit," Nanako remarked. "We-" A sniper shot punctured the wall above my head and I buckled forward. The clamor from such a strike left a dreadful ringing in my ears as I rubbed them. I could barely make out Nanako's muffled words. "You good?" she asked and I nodded wearily. "Scared me there, dork." She ran her hand across my head and her fingers got tangled in the curls. "Yeah, you're fine. I reckon we have a few moments between shots while the sniper locks in another round. Think you can make it to that fire extinguisher over there?"

I glanced at the casing bolted by the stairs. "I'd never get it out in time," I murmured.

"You don't have to," Nanako assured. With a deep breath, she stretched her arm across the floor and grabbed a chunk of metal from the destroyed binoculars. "Just break the glass and drop on the stairs."

"What?" I gasped.

She forced the broken gear into my hand and squeezed. "Trust me. You can do this." I clasped my new weapon and steadied my heels. "I'll tell you when to go," Nanako said. "It'll be fine if you do this right."

_That's comforting,_ I thought.

Nanako swallowed hard and removed her newfound hat. I watched with pulse-pounding anticipation as she slowly raised the hat above cover. Holding the cap by its brim, Nanako delicately turned it as a puppeteer would a marionette. The trick worked and the sniper sent a bullet zipping straight into the _Jurassic_ _Park_ logo. The hat spun off her hand and Nanako gave me a shove. "Now, dork. Now!"

In frenzied fright, I launched myself towards the fire extinguisher. I heard Nanako's racing steadily behind me as I struck the extinguisher's case with all of my strength. The force sent me tumbling over the stairs as glass rained atop my shoulders. I covered my head and braced for the sniper's next shot. Instead of a grim bang, my ears heard a pin pull and I peered upward. Nanako withdrew the fire extinguisher and aimed the nozzle over the balcony. With her legs stretched beside me, she looked down and shouted, "Run!"

Nanako unleashed the extinguisher's contents, shrouding our descent in a thick cloud of compressed nitrogen. I could only assume the sniper was firing at our silhouettes, as several periodic bullets made their way to the tower beside us. Each frightful shot made me quicken my pace until my knees grew sore and my ankles tight. Just when my leg muscles seized up, Nanako shoved me into the ground floor lobby where we found the others.

"Holy crap," I realized. "We made it!" That was all I was able to say before Bruce tackled me to the floor. A hailstorm of semi-automatic gunfire lit up the souvenir cart where I had been standing.

"Goddamit!" Bruce growled. "Don't you ever turn your radio off again! Get the hell in cover cause we have company."

"More on this side!" Mamá called out. "They're trying to surround us!"

"Keep up your fire on that side," Bruce instructed. "Nanako, take the middle! I've got right."

I slid behind a toppled vending machine and peeked out to analyze the situation. The sniper had indeed called in our position and Suarez's mercenaries were closing in from all sides of the observatory. Bruce was laying down a heavy amount of fire while Mamá and Nanako shot back when they could. I ducked down when stray bullets riddled the vending machine. Its caffeinated entrails seeped through holes and gathered in fizzy puddles.

"Push up!" I heard a mercenary call.

Shredded wallpaper flung across the room as Nanako blindly returned fire. "We're not gonna last much longer here," she said.

I crawled to the circular reception desk and rolled behind it. "Take cover here!" I cried out.

"Great," Bruce growled. "Entrench us more."

"Do you have a better idea?" Mamá jibed. Nanako dispersed what was left of the extinguisher to shroud the room as they made a break for my position. "Head down, mijo." Mamá pushed me and fired sporadically over the counter. Muzzle flashes permeated through the mist and grazed the desk. Splinters and jagged wood chips spun to my knees as I covered my face.

"Las cadenas!" Mamá alerted us and took aim.

"Las what now?" Nanako babbled.

"The chains," Bruce defined as he caught on. "Shoot'em!" I watched the trio open fire on several chains bolted at each entryway. After several attempts, the chains snapped just as the mercenaries began to close in. A wave of hurricane shutters released and sealed us in. We knelt in darkness and succumbed to the eerie, temporary silence. The deadened sound of mercenaries shouting orders echoed from outside. "That's only gonna buy us so much time," Bruce worried.

"Then what's the plan?" Nanako asked. Bruce's eyes darted across the room, hopelessly yearning for some form of escape. "Any moment now would be great."

"I don't have a plan!" Bruce yelled. As he did so, one of the shutters was blown clean overhead by a tremendous explosion.

The grenade was followed by a mercenary entering with sunlight beaming on her shoulders. "Breaching!" she proclaimed only to be shot in the kneecap by Mamá. She fell over as my group opened fire. The other shutters blasted off behind us and the mercenaries proceeded in.

"Conserve ammo," Bruce reminded. "I'm on two magazines."

"Out of the rifle," said Mamá as she switched to her pistol.

Nanako dipped back into cover and checked her clip. "Shit!" she hissed. "Six shots. That's it."

"Then only fire when you've got a clear shot!" Bruce commanded and pumped bullets into a mercenary. Enemy fire grazed his shoulder and he fell back. "Son of a bitch!"

Another bullet barrage sent a splinter spiraling into my face and I fell over with a yelp. The echo of gunfire numbed around me as I slowly pulled the wooden chip out of my cheek. A lonely drop of blood splashed on the tile and I turned back to the carnage before me. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, all of my companions shared an insurmountable weight of exhaustion. There we were...outgunned and out of our minds, trapped between a storm of bullets and fighting off a bitter end. All I could do was lay there and feel utterly useless. I reached for my knife, but what good would that do? Could I even muster the courage to use it? As my hand fled the hilt, I felt the weight of my fallen father's eyes shaming me. With all exits cut off, all that remained was to shout.

"Mamá!" I exclaimed and she looked down to me. "What do I do?"

Sympathy filled her eyes. I could tell she was fighting off her own hopelessness. "Pray, Carlito. Pray for us."

She returned fire and left me with her words. In such a hellish reality, it was easy to feel forsaken by the Almighty. It was too simple to question the existence of a god who would allow a wicked woman to murder a child's loving father and get away with it. Years of praying at a bedside, only to end up betrayed in this death-ridden place. Seeing no other option, I dropped to my knees and my head struck the floor. My hands ran across the worn carpeting and I uttered words I'd spoken since my earliest age. "Our Father," I prayed as bullet casings clattered behind me. "Who art in heaven..." My fingers curled until they caught on to a cylindrical handle. I looked ahead with reddened eyes at mysterious hatch I'd found in the flooring. "Hallowed be thy name!" I beamed up with hysterical energy, only to realize we were still under fire. "There's a hatch!" I shouted. "In the floorboards!"

"I'll be damned," said Bruce. "You all go for it. I'll cover your entry!"

Mamá helped me pull the lid open and we gazed down at a shadowy ladder.

Inspired by Nanako's endeavors, Bruce blasted the lobby's fire extinguisher to disorient our attackers. "That's enough!" Mamá called. "Let's go!" Bruce and Nanako slid into the darkness as we slammed the hatch over them. The force of doing so made me lose my footing and I tumbled down the ladder. My sore cheek struck concrete as Mamá helped me up.

"Looks like some sort of maintenance tunnel," Bruce said. He switched on a flashlight and revealed a series of intertwining corridors. He then tilted the light toward his compass and pointed down a tunnel. "Keep heading east." The hatch above us rattled and Bruce tossed his flashlight down the adjacent tunnel. "Hopefully they'll think we dropped it running the opposite way."

Our footsteps echoed as we sprinted into the blackness. All hope seemed snatched away mere moments ago, now we were back on the defensive. Despite the occasional corner or stairwell, we strove to maintain a consistent path east. We stopped to catch our breath at a dead end service junction. Thick wires buzzed next to a humming terminal with flickering acronyms.

**PCH PADDOCK  
VIEWPORT 2**

"The hell is a PCH?" Nanako asked.

"50/50 chance on whether it'll eat us or not," Bruce quipped. "Up we go."

He and Mamá pried open the nearby hatch and checked the surrounding area. She leaned back as he proceeded to kick out the windows. Fresh air offered us an escape from the unventilated warmth of the tunnels. It was not until I heard the sounds of nighttime insects and spotted moonlit foliage that I realized how long we'd been underground.

"We're clear," Mamá said. "Come on through."

I slid out of the cramped viewport and wondered how any guest could possibly find it comfortable. My feet met damp grass as I heard a tumultuous thud. A pair of domed skulls battered against one another as two dinosaurs staggered in response. The clunky beasts listed about as I realized what exactly _PCH_ stood for. One of the pachycephalosaurs took a particular liking to Nanako. It snorted profusely and lurched several steps in her direction.

She slowly reached for her worn pistol, its handle still soaked in her sweat. "Someone back me up here," she whispered. "I'm not seeing teeth on this thing but it doesn't look friendly."

"Just...back away slowly," Mamá said. She glared over her shoulder and motioned towards a toppled tree. "We can climb that out of the paddock."

"One at a time though," Bruce insisted. "Nice and steady." The rest of the pachycephalosaurus herd kept to itself while the rogue remained focused on Nanako. Bruce climbed up first and offered Mamá a hand. "Come on, Rosa. Stay that pistol, Nanako. We need to conserve ammo and we can't give away our position."

"Easy for you to say," she hissed. "You're not staring down one of these bastards." She straightened her posture and the dino mimicked the gesture, probably viewing it as a challenge.

"Carlito," Mamá called. "It's time." I reluctantly took her hand and was hoisted into the tree. All that remained was Nanako, stuck in a face off with the nasty pachycephalosaurus. It was as if she and the creature were linked. Any strength she showed was reciprocated by the great beast.

"You're not gonna scare it off," Bruce intoned. "Find a window and get up here."

"How about you build me a window, general?" she spat. The dinosaur snarled when she spoke and kept up its encroachment.

I grasped one of the weaker branches and rattled it wildly. The dome-headed dino craned its neck up. "That's it," I whispered. "Up here."

Nanako didn't waste the chance to bolt for the tree trunk. My distraction was short-lived and the pachycephalosaurus charged after her with a shrill screech. As if it even mattered, the three of us egged Nanako on, pleading for her to run faster. Bruce stretched out his arm as Nanako sprung for it. He hauled her up as the pachycephalosaurus rammed into the trunk. The tree's entire foundation shook and the four of us fell out of the paddock and onto the nearby sidewalk.

I gazed up at the starry sky and smiled in relief. "You know-" I said between pants. "I thought that landing would be a lot more painful."

"Igualmente," Mamá sighed.

"Something broke our fall," Nanako added.

"Yeah," Bruce groaned. "ME!" We all scrambled off as the hulking beast of a man came to. "Jesus Mary and Joseph, you people are heavier than you look. Shit!"

"I think he got our names wrong," Nanako taunted only to have Bruce glare at her. "I was just chased by friar tuck's reptilian cousin," she jested. "Forgive me if I try to have a laugh."

Mamá dusted herself off and examined the compound. "We should search it for supplies."

"Some more ammo would be nice," Bruce replied. "Plus this could be a good place to hold up for the night."

At least Bruce was right about the second part. All the cobalt building contained were mounds of herbivore chow and a tranquilizer rifle. I didn't see how it'd improve our odds against any mercenaries. Despite Bruce's protests, Mamá insisted on taking first watch for the night despite Bruce's protests. I understood his desire to protect us all and right his wrongs, but he couldn't do so without rest. He had pushed his body under enough physical abuse to knock him out the moment his eyes shut. I couldn't help but snicker at his snores. If only Nanako could see she'd fallen asleep leaning on one of his shoulders. It didn't matter what we'd been through, for we were stuck together regardless. There was an open spot to slumber in Bruce's other arm, but I chose instead to check on Mamá. It'd been too long since we'd gotten a moment alone together.

I stumbled out of the compound with a yawn and found her strutting by the treeline. The occasional shriek of pachycephalosaurs made me quiver, but Mamá had clearly gotten used to it. Her empty assault rifle was just for show as it swung at her side. She kept her hand on her pistol at all times, and nearly drew it when I called to her. "Por Dios, mijo. Don't scare me like that," she said.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Mamá simpered. "As good as I can. My legs are killing me."

"Same!" I replied a little too high and quickly shut up.

Mamá smirked. "You did well today, Carlito. Up at the tower and at its base. Dios te bendiga. He and your father watched over you...watched over all of us today."

I pursed my lips and took a seat on a nearby stone. My shoulders slouched with the weight of her words and I looked up with a twitch in my eye. "Do you really believe that?"

"Claro que sí," she replied so confidently. "And I also believe in you." She took a moment to kneel at my side. "No matter how bleak things seem, I still have you to keep me going. I love you, mijo...and we'll find a way out of this."

"We will," I affirmed.

She ran her hand through my curls and gave it a playful shove as Papá would. "But you need to sleep. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"If you insist," I sighed and trudged back to the compound. Our conversation only made me feel more awake. Her words had livened my spirits during such dire and trying times. If there was anyone I could ever trust to do so, it would always be Mamá. Whatever sternness she showed was only to make me stronger, and her kindness was omnipotent. Maybe God was with us...and Papá too.

I started to grip the door handle when I realized something shameful. I didn't even tell Mamá I loved her back nor did I hug her. After everything I couldn't just let that slide. It'd keep me awake all night like a maddening itch. Without further hesitation, I retraced my steps back to her patrol route. "Mamá," I whispered. "I love-" The rustle of leaves forced me into silence and I stopped dead in my tracks. Mamá had resumed her watch, but remained unaware of the camouflaged mercenary sneaking up behind her.


	7. Chapter 7 - In Pursuit of Salvation

**Chapter: 7 In Pursuit of Salvation**

There was no time to go back for help...no time to think of a further plan. All I could was surge forward. The mercenary went for a silent kill on my mother, drawing his knife in the darkness and creeping forward. Fearing her safety and dreading the same outcome as Papá, I stretched out a hand to stop the assailant. It felt as though I was moving in slow motion. Aching muscles made my legs twitch as my knees popped. The killer reached for Mamá's shoulder as I yelled, "Stop!"

He turned in astonishment and his green goggles blinded me. The flash sent me stumbling back and I heard a tussle ensue. Mamá's yelp urged me to rub my eyes quicker and rush back into the fray. The purple spots in my eyes transitioned into a pair of dancing silhouettes. Mamá and her attacker roller across the grass, wrestling and punching away as I stood on the side. She tried to fire her gun, but he kicked it into the jungle. Amidst the struggle, Mamá caught a momentary glimpse of me before the mercenary pinned her to the ground. She desperately fended off his knife and spoke through gritted teeth. "Mijo...get...Bruce." I took two steps back, but couldn't bring myself to leave her. I stood idly by while she pushed the blade way from her neck. "Go!" she grunted.

I started to run for the complex when I heard my mother let out an excruciating cry. It shattered my heart and I spun to see her get punched in the torso. Her strength dwindled and the mercenary brought the knife down harder. The past returned as time froze before me. Death had found me once more, and it was here to claim my mother. I recalled the fall of Papá and the pain in his eyes. Yet in spite of such anguish, there was a reservoir of hope. When he took the bullet for me, he sought to preserve something. Something I couldn't let fall to ruin. Now I had to protect my own as he had. There was no time to go for aid, because it was my turn to _be_ the aid. Fuerza.

"No!" I roared and charged into battle. I threw myself atop Mamá's attacker and instantly felt like an idiot. I furiously punched at his back and head without even thinking to reach for my knife. The distraction gave Mamá enough time to take a chomp out of the man's hand. He loosed a blood-curdling growl as blood poured from his knuckles. In a fit of rage, he struck me with the back of his head and released Mamá. I recovered from my daze in time to see him looming over me. His booted heel struck my gut and knocked the wind out of me. The full force of his kick had me wheezing as he reached for his gun. My dizzied gaze had me seeing three spinning pistols pointed at my face until Mamá tackled him from behind. With a ferocious screech, she clawed at his face like a wild bear protecting her cub. His weapon fell and was swallowed by the shadows in the process. Mamá gave her best effort to try and down the man, yet still he overpowered her. I watched in disoriented horror as he flipped her over and scrambled to intercept them.

I brought my hands together and struck his ribcage like a club. He snarled and backhanded me into the coarse dirt. His strike further cut the cheek I'd injured back in the Nublar Eye and I winced. I lost my balance and rolled down the incline overlooking the pachycephalosaurus paddock. By the time I'd stopped moving, I could make out my sinister foe descending upon me. I could only hope Bruce or Nanako would awaken. That one of them had heard the nearby scuffle and would rush to respond. Mr. Boutwell could easily crush this man, or so I hoped. Mamá could only take so much and I didn't stand a chance. My sight fully returned as the mercenary closed in. Blood trickled from his knuckles and painted the leaves where he stepped. I backed against a nearby tree and my hands clasped at the earth. My brows raised when a part of the soil felt hard and lifeless. With haste, I plucked the lost pistol from the dirt and nervously aimed it at the mercenary.

His advancement stalled and he craned his neck. "Stay back," I demanded. "L-...leave. You let us go...I let you go." His green, soulless lenses hummed eerily. "I don't want to kill you!" I croaked. "Get out of here!"

The man scoffed beneath his mouthpiece. "You're not gonna kill anyone," he said with such vigor. "Your type never does." He took a violent lunge towards me.

**_BANG!  
_**  
One of his green lenses flickered and fizzled. Blood splattered across the trees and his body jerked forward. He struck the ground with an uproarious thud and a cloud of dust departed from beneath. Holding my breath, I dropped my weapon as if it were aflame and spun to find my rescuer. Hope clashed with rising timidity as a towering shadow lumbered in the blackness. It plodded towards me with arduous breaths and a swaying arm. The oblong figure stepped into the moonlight, looming over six feet and staring down with calm...icy blue eyes. He knelt beside me and was still taller than I could surmise. Light blonde scruff permeated from his quivering chin. He steadied it by sticking a cigarette between his thin lips and patiently lighting it. My eyes darted between the tall man and the murdered mercenary he'd left at my feet. He scavenged my pistol and the fear of an unknown outcome returned. The tall man scoffed and the cigarette swayed to the corner of his mouth. "You had the safety on." He aimed it at me for a brief moment, only to twirl it around and hand it back.

"No thanks," I rapidly replied.

"More for me." He holstered the pistol next to his revolver. "Danke, Carlito."

I raised a brow. "Wait...German?..." My eyes widened. "Hans?"

"Captain Hans," he corrected. "You-"

He didn't get a chance to finish before I hugged him out of relief. I was just happy to be among another friend, even if I'd never met him. His lanky arms locked up as if he was unsure what to do. He reciprocated with a quick pat on my back and looked me in the eye. "Where are the others?" he asked.

Every horror came whirling back to me. "Mamá!" I bolted up the incline I'd fallen from. "This way, captain. Hurry!" Hans trailed behind as we found Mamá writhing in the grass. I dropped to her side and helped her up. She panicked for a moment, but found calmness in touching my face. "Soy yo," I assured her. "And look who I found."

Mamá peered up through my embrace and caught a glimpse of the captain. Though she'd only seen him once, he carried himself unforgettably. "Capitán," she winced. "Good to see you alive."

Hans removed his cap respectfully. "And you as well," he said. "Where is Geraldo?" Mamá shook her head and Hans stopped himself from putting his cap back on. "I'm sorry," he mourned.

"Gracias," Mamá replied solemnly. "It's good to see you're still alive. We tried to get in contact with you."

"I've been on the run for days," Hans explained. "They stormed the boat hours after your team departed. I barely escaped unnoticed and couldn't grab a radio. We-" Hans' head jerked towards the treeline. He spread his hands apart and squatted.

"Captain?" I inquired. "What are you-"

"Shhh," he whispered.

Mamá rose to my side as we listened to a series of loudening stomps. Branches shook and the tremors shifted the terrain. It was the radio station all over again as I rushed back towards the complex. "We need to go," I urged.

Mamá pulled me away from what I figured was safe until I noticed a dreadful shape between the trees. A titanic head weaved between trunks while a tail trailed behind the buildings. The pachycephalosaurs screeched in a panic as the beast prowled outside their enclosure. Mamá and I backed away while Hans' jaw dropped. His cigarette struck the floor as the monstrous predator roared before him. The carcharodontosaurus had found us. "Run!" Mamá yelled.

The three of us made a break for the opposite viewing area and found little cover to weave through. Every stomp from the carc had me fearing imminent death. Adrenaline battled my fatigued body as I strived to keep up with Hans and push Mamá further. I made the mistake of looking back at the carc and seeing how truly demonic it was at night. Its yellow eyes were piercing atop rows of blade-like teeth. Its thunderous and prolonged roars were deafening as it persisted after us.

Amidst the frenzied madness, I heard Mamá yell between heavy breaths. "¡Tienda!" She threw up a frantic finger towards one of thefood service kiosks called _Trilo-Bites_. We dashed for it, unanimously fearing its glass doors were sealed. Luckily Hans was quick to draw his revolver and unload two sloppy rounds into the door. We barged through the shattered entryway...and so did the carc. The three of us screamed and crawled for our lives as the building came down around us. The carc bashed its mortifying head straight through the shop, snapping away and dismantling the foundation. Lightbulbs exploded and dining plan menus swiveled to the floor. Cracked tiles popped off entirely and became lethal projectiles until embedding themselves in the walls. The carc forced a leg inside and its tail swished across the food court. Tables and chairs flung through the air and smashed into what was left of the ceiling. Light fixtures strobed and swung off hinges, prompting loose wires to spark up on all sides. I held onto Mamá with one arm and clenched Hans' coat with the other. We buried our heads in the musty flooring, trying to block out the ear-splitting chaos around us and keep moving forward. The reception desk cracked under pressure and I took a chance at looking up. The carc's face was lunging towards me through the strobes and dusty mist.

I let out a horrid scream and Mamá pushed me out of the way just as its jaws snapped. Despite every cacaphonous sound in the room, Mamá's scream stuck out indefinitely and made my heart plummet. A gunshot followed and I spun around. I was relieved to see Mamá still at my side, though she was balled up and whimpering. Hans fired another shot at the carc and it backed off for a moment. I noticed blood on its lower jaw during one of the strobes.

Hans took aim again, but the revolver clicked. "Sheisse!" he cursed as the carc returned. He switched to the other pistol but forgot to take the safety off. "Verdammt!" The carc took a snap at him as a rifle clacked behind. A blue-feathered dart struck the beast's neck and it loosed a discomforting growl. Further enraged, it trailed off and bulldozed its way out of the kiosk. Its tail struck a rafter and sent it sailing down in the process. "Brace!" Hans warned but it was too late.

The rafter collided above us, keeping us pinned along with more dented debris. A silhouetted duo vaulted over the wreckage and slid to our side as the smoke settled. "Hang in there!" Bruce exclaimed. He dropped a tranquilizer rifle and took hold of the beam with both hands. "Help me out here, Nanako!"

She coughed up some dust and clambered to the adjacent side. Together they hauled the splintered beam off of us and dropped it with a clunk. While initially perplexed by our new friend, Nanako and Bruce were swift to look to me for an answer. "It's Captain Hans," I said.

"The god of the sea himself," Nanako panted.

My mother's groan snapped me back to the moment. "Mamá!" I gasped and crawled to her. She was barely moving and her lower leg was coated in fresh blood. "She's hurt!" On instinct I grabbed her shoulders and turned to Bruce. "Help her, please!"

It was as if he was back in the Gulf War. Bruce dropped to Mamá's side, quickly assessed the situation, and raised two fingers to give orders. "Nanako, search this wreckage and find me something sturdy about the size of Rosa's leg. A plank or a board of any kind will do. Rods even, just go! Captain, give me a heads up if that creature or anything else comes back."

"What about me?" I asked urgently. "What can I do, Bruce?"

"Just keep your mother calm and awake," he barked. His tone was deeper and louder with each passing word. "See how her eyes are listing? You keep her up and talking. Do _not_ let her knock out. That's an order!"

"What's wrong with her?" I worried.

"You don't need to know that right now," he intoned.

I couldn't control my emotions stirring within. "But-"

"Just do what I said!" He demanded.

Tears swelled as I cradled Mamá's head in my arms. "I'm here," I said. "It's Carlito."

"Car...lito," she whispered.

"Yes," I choked. "That's it." I shook her as her eyes fluttered. "But you have to stay awake, Mamá. Keep talking to me. Please keep looking at me!"

Bruce pressed his arm against Mamá's injured leg. "Any luck, Nanako?" he called as blood spurted against his wrists and forearms.

"Not yet!" she hollered.

"God damn," he grunted and looked up at Hans. "Captain, how clean is your belt?" Hans gave an honest shrug which somewhat irked Bruce under pressure. "Is it cleaner than my shirt or belt? Then give it here!"

"Geraldo," Mamá spoke and I feared the worst.

Whether she was lamenting or actually seeing someone, I nervously clenched her further and kissed her head. "Please don't go, Mamá. I can't lose you both."

"Come on, come on." Bruce snarled as Hans ripped off his belt. "Okay...take the coat off, switch with me and apply pressure," he ordered. Hans seemed unsure for a moment until Bruce dropped the act. "She's got a severe fracture and laceration. If we don't stop the bleeding soon she'll die!" Hans rushed over and threw off his coat. He took over to apply pressure to Mamá's leg while Bruce piled the thick coat over it. He then firmly tied the belt around her leg as Nanako arrived with a sturdy plank. Bruce practically clawed it out of her hands and slid the plank beside Mamá's leg. He then furiously tore off a hanging sleeve from Hans' bloody coat and wrapped it over the fracture. "Alright," he coughed. "It looks like the bleeding's slowed. We'll keep up pressure. You still with us, Rosa?"

"Sí," she uttered and rested her head against my chest.

Bruce felt her forehead. "You had us scared there," he said with a fraudulent smile. He withdrew some water from his bag and gave it to me. "Make sure she hydrates. This place is too open and we're not gonna survive another attack from that thing."

"Hopefully it's asleep with that dart you struck it with," Nanako said.

"But for how long?" Hans murmured. "A beast that big with a dart that small? It may not even knock him out."

All of our inquiries were drowned out by the sound of Mako's radio tuning in. "No more games," said a voice we'd all come to dread. We all stared at the device buckled to Bruce's belt. "You're anticipating my movements all too easily," Commander Suarez said. "Plus we found dear Mako all gutted and fly-ridden. I knew you hated him, Boutwell...but coño. This chase of death has gone on long enough, wouldn't you say? How many have perished so needlessly?" We remained silent and leaned in as Suarez continued. "I offer you a deal in exchange for your lives. No lies...no gimmicks...just business. Give us your position with the embryos and we all go home. It's that simple. I know out of everyone, you'll make the right call, Boutwell."

The transmission ended and left us all with blank stares. Hans was confused about Boutwell's involvement with the mercenaries while the rest of us had the same realization in mind. It was just a matter of who would say it first.

"They _don't _have the embryos?" Nanako blurted. "This whole time they've been hunting us like we have them?"

"But we don't," Bruce added. "Or...do we?"

"How could we have them," Nanako snapped. "Carlito's dad had'em last back at the visitor center." She ran her fingers through her spiky hair as if sifting for her memories. "But then, Suarez took his life. Then they've been cleaning house to finish us off-"

"Unless-" I muttered.

Bruce, Nanako, and Hans stared at me. Mamá rested at my side, barely awake but paying attention. My eyes strayed across the ground, and the grass soon transitioned to the visitor center tiles. I recalled watching Papá's blood stain the floor after the first bullet struck him. He had fallen into my arms, willing me to go on. I remembered how we shuffled in his final moments as he told me to be strong.

"_Listen to me," _he had said. _"You cannot break now. You cannot_._"  
_  
Then it all struck me. In those terrifying moments, I was so focused on his gaze that I had not once looked elsewhere. Papá's trembling hands were on the move, making every last moment count as he clenched my backpack. The memories started to race as I saw the second bullet strike him from the smoke and Suarez checking his body...yet I never saw her grab the embryos.

All of it flashed me back to the present as I ripped my backpack off. I practically punched through the opening and battered away nutrition bars. My hand snagged the secret compartment within and took hold of something smooth. With twitching eyes and a thundering heart, I slowly removed the emerald permanence capsule so many had died for.

"Holy shit," Nanako whispered.

All eyes were on the capsule as disbelief overwhelmed us. This entire time, our efforts to escape had been in the service of an even greater purpose. Thanks to Papá's valiant sacrifice, the mission never failed and the risks were ever higher.

Instead of finding strengthened conviction among us, the capsule's revelation sliced a grim division. "So we're giving it to them, right?" Nanako asked.

"Have you lost your mind?" Bruce snapped.

"No," she was quick to respond. "I just want to keep it in my head instead of splattered on the floor. Look at everything we've been put through because of lizard DNA. I thought they were trying to kill us because they already had it."

"And you think they won't if we give them the embryos?" I added.

Nanako completely ignored me. "My vote is we give them coordinates and leave the capsule there. Then we get the hell out of here in the _Entente_."

"I know Suarez," Bruce interjected. "We do that and she'll still clean house. All having the capsule does is give us the advantage."

Nanako cackled irksomely. "Advantage? Do you see what kind of circumstances we're in? We just about lost the dork's Mom over there."

"Stop it," I murmured through a quivering frown.

"It's bad enough he lost his old man!" My blood ran cold at her words and I scowled. "I won't be next over this," she added.

"He's been through enough," Bruce defended. "He's just a kid."

Nanako violently jabbed a finger at him. "Don't act like he's the only one endangered here," she hissed. "And of course you know Suarez because you served under her. What's to stop you from rejoining and turning the embryos over to save your own back?"

"Don't you _dare_ tell me who I am or what I'll do," Bruce barked back. "Only I decide that."

Bruce and Nanako spouted on with fire in their words. The air was like a steaming bubble boiling with the tension those two were igniting. With flailing arms, pulsing veins, and gritted teeth, the duo kept bursting in each others' faces. I don't even think they blinked. I couldn't tell them apart from dinosaurs with their outstretched digits and bared teeth. Below their fury I found Mamá listing hopelessly against the debris, glancing at me as if I could do anything. She had the same look in her eyes Papá did, and I still didn't know what to do this time. Hans had completely dissociated himself. Much like on the ship, he sat back and served as the silent observer. Our group was crumbling before my eyes and all I could imagine was Suarez easily picking us off at any moment. The noise of it all drilled itself into my head like an immovable parasite, laying eggs of guilt within. I didn't speak a word nor give anyone a second look. I purely clutched the capsule like a newborn child, stood up, and ran into the jungle all alone.

I had only gotten a few steps of the way by the time anyone had taken notice. "Kid? Kid!" I heard Bruce shouting through darkness. "Come back!"

"Carlito!" Nanako's dwindling voice echoed.

Fatigue claimed me in full swing as I dropped to my knees. Still I sprinted as fast as I could, determined to hide away from it all...Desperate for some form of solace in my world of agony. My legs gave out and I dropped to my knees. The atrocious burns across my legs were the final straw for tears to flow from my eyes. Shame befell me for leaving Mamá behind, yet I found peace in escaping the rest. The twist of emotional mistrust within made me question everything. I felt more like a coward than anything else. Furious with my state of being, I slammed the back of my head against a tree trunk. The force sent me sliding down a mucky slant in the terrain. I tossed and tumbled as mud plastered across my face. Murky waters broke the fall at my knees, but the capsule slipped from my hands.

"No!" I exclaimed as the device sank to the edge of the lagoon and I dove in after it. I overestimated its depth and instantly collided with a gravely surface. Bubbles surged around my ears as I felt around for the capsule. Relief returned as I grabbed it and resurfaced with a gasp. I bolstered the capsule and caught my breath while knee-deep in the turbid waters. Any smile that was on its way was quick to vanish as the waters rippled beside me. I slowly backed out, holding my fearful breath as an elongated tail broke the surface. I fell against the shore and braced when multiple dinosaurs emerged from the lagoon. In my panic I found disbelief...and in my fear I found the solace I had so desperately sought. Before me swam an entire herd of parasaurolophus.

The gentle, yet mighty herbivores rose from the lagoon with reeds to munch on. Their noble crests formed proud and prominent silhouettes in the moonlight and they hummed a pleasant tune. I sat back against a nearby stone, clutching the future of _Jurassic Park_ and observing the remarkable herd. They paid no mind to me as they feasted on water plants and preened one another. I was so entranced by the sight of them, that I had completely missed the human closing in behind me.

His touch was gentle against my shoulder. It only intensified when I turned with a gasp. Hans was quick to shush me and delicately took a seat. He was so tall, he couldn't even sit cross-legged. "No sudden movements," he whispered. "We don't want to frighten them off."

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"I took my time," he said calmly. "That and you left a nasty trail where you fell."

"Is Mamá okay?"

"She's holding up," Hans replied. "They others feel terrible about you though."

"I'm sorry."

Hans looked to me with his frosty gaze. "Don't be for a second. Take a moment, take a breath, and resume. We'll go back in a moment." I wondered if it was ever possible for Hans to raise his voice. He coaxed a smiled out of me and faced the dinos. "So what are these horned ones?" he asked.

"Parasaurolophus," I answered confidently. "And those are crests not horns."

Hans wrinkled his nose at me. "Pardon me, professor."

"They're my favorites," I explained.

I observed a juvenile making its way out of the lagoon. It quirkily dried off by rolling over and returned to what I assumed to be its parents. I sighed heavily, seeing myself in that tiny dinosaur. Watching it live so peacefully oblivious to the world was oddly relatable. There it was, wandering freely under the watchful protection of both loving parents. How I missed the simpler times when my biggest problems were homework and the hardest videogame level. I recalled every hug I took for granted and each "I love you" left unsaid. Beholding the pleasant family, I bit back a sniffle as a tear rolled down my cheek. What I'd give for just a moment of simplicity to return.

Hans uprooted some reeds beside me. "What are you doing?" I asked and hurriedly wiped my tear.

"Just watch," he said and stretched out the reeds. He wrapped his other arm around me and pushed forward. The nearest parasaurolophus craned its neck as lagoon gunk dripped from its snout. Hans' kissing noises seemed more suitable for a dog instead of a sixteen foot lizard.

A stupid smile snuck onto Hans' face as the dino closed in. Its remarkable head leaned in and took an immensely slow chomp of the reeds. I gasped as the remaining foliage gently slid from Hans' palms and into the dino's maw. Its sideways chewing and prolonged, blank stare was rather comical.

"It's like a sixty-five million year old cow," I giggled. "And I love it."

"I dare you to touch it," Hans whispered through a smirk.

Bewilderment crossed my face. "Are you crazy? No."

The captain shrugged as sarcasm became his ally. "Fine then. I'll just have to touch your favorite first." He started to raise a hand and my heart sank.

"No no," I said. "I'll...do it." He flashed a toothy grin as I gulped and reached for the dinosaur. I kept my fingers packed together to pose less of a threat. My rigid wrist ached and forearm tightened as I neared the creature. Muggy air puffed from its nostrils and pressed against my once chilly face. I bypassed the malodorous stench, held my breath, and dropped my hand against its snout. My muscles loosened and fingers spread atop the dino's hide. My fingers calmly spread out as I ran my hand up towards its crest. Every movement was precious and meticulous, like carrying the permanence capsule itself. The parasaurolophus' hum reverberated through my body. The sensation was like that of sitting too close to an orchestra in school. Sadness intertwined with joy as I continued to pet the gentle giant. My melancholy eyes met the creature's gaze. Its umber pools teemed with innocence and regality shining beneath the moonlight. "This is...incredible," I spoke like a giddy child on Christmas. I turned to Hans who was offering a gentle smile. "Thank you," I said.

He nodded and reclined with arms crossed in the grass. "Nothing can ever replace what you've lost, young man." he replied. "But we need you and so do they." He gestured to the herd and then tapped the capsule. "That's their future right there."

"I understand." As if realizing the lesson had been learned, the parasaurolophus raised its head away from me. "Goodbye friend," I said to it.

"Something's not right," Hans murmured. "Look at the others." The rest of the herd perked their heads up. The dino I'd pet produced a nasally wail of distress. Several others mimicked the call and the juveniles scurried between their parents. The lagoon rippled with white water as the great creatures retreated to higher ground. "Think it's the mercenaries?" Hans asked and already lowered his head.

I caught a glimpse of shapes darting through the tall grasses. Raspy barks echoed from adjacent sides as if someone...or rather _something _was coordinating. "It's not Suarez," I whispered. The herd was hastily departing and we'd soon be alone. Whatever our next move was, we had to spring just as quickly.

With a ferocious hiss, an ominous predator emerged from the grass and leapt onto one of the parasaurolophus'. The herbivore screeched and tumbled, freeing itself from the creature and running to catch up with the herd. We watched as the dazed beast rose to its feet with a growl. It snapped its jaws for a moment and sniffed at the air. Hans and I shuddered when it vigorously twisted its head in our direction. The dinosaur was almost as big as Hans as it took a step forward. My greatest fears materialized once it passed into the moonlight. Its signature, sickle-shaped claws tapped from each foot. They were the "symbols of death" as Commander Suarez had called them. Hans and I found ourselves staring down a savage, snarling velociraptor.

We backed away slowly, unsure of which direction to turn. A wave of perplexity crashed over us as the raptor remained idle. Its claws rested instead of being poised for attack and its growl lessened. Despite this behavior, the predator never took its eyes off of us. The grass rustled behind us as a second velociraptor sprung from the shadows. Hans threw himself in front of me while the first raptor charged with a screech. I braced until a blinding flash lit the darkness. A gunshot sent the second raptor rolling and writhing while the first retreated into the grass.

Hans cocked his pistol. "Safety off this time!" he shouted.

"We need to go," I urged. "The other wasn't scared. I'm sure its planning another attack."

"After that clever stunt? Nothing surprises me."

I pointed towards the grazed fields. "Let's make for higher ground."

"Bad idea. We should go back to the others," Hans intoned. More raptors emerged from the jungle where we'd come from. "Your idea works," he reconsidered.

My thighs burned on the steep incline but adrenaline willed me onward. The nearby calls of hungry velociraptors served as plenty of further motivation. The predators bolted like blurs in the corners of my eyes. Hans grew paranoid and agitatedly fired into the night. His bullets scraped trees and pierced clustered moss. I counted a total of five shots wasted on the extremely elusive creatures. Hans had lucked out with his shot on the ambushing raptor, but the rest of the pack was far more coordinated. A mighty kapok tree stood tall at the base of the jungle.

With our options limited, Hans scooped me in his arms and flung me at the lower branches. "Get climbing!" he shouted.

I hauled myself to the next branch and peered back down. The raptors converged like attack dogs as Hans dropped to a squat. He loosed a breathy yell and launched himself into the air. The raptors snapped their raging jaws at him, almost snagging one of his lanky legs in the process. I grabbed him by the collar to help him up, and the duress of doing so forced his captain's cap to swivel off. "Nein!" Hans gasped. He stretched out a hopeless hand as one of the raptors wriggled the cap in its mouth. It tore the white fabric to shreds and slammed it upon realizing it lacked sustenance. Hans' grief became fury and he made a fist. "That was my vater's," he growled.

"I think your dad would understand," I assured only to scream when one of the raptors started climbing. Hans wasted another shot, splintering the trunk and startling our pursuer for a moment. The other raptors had grown accustomed to the sound of gunshots. They were learning faster than either of us could keep up with. Had we not been their prey, I would've found their advanced intellect fascinating instead of utterly mortifying. We leapt to another branch and listened to bark scraping underneath us. The raptors pounced across the lower trees, occasionally taking snaps at us in the process.

We ascended to the highest branch and leaned to its tip. Any salvation was short-lived as our point of safety gave in under our weight. I heard a daunting snap and we plunged several feet into the eerie darkness. Our branch struck a raptor on the way down and we tumbled into a series of other branches. Each thwacked and jabbed at our bodies like ghastly arms in the night. Confusion took hold as the warm boughs transitioned to chilled metal. I only had a moment to realize we'd been knocked into another enclosed area. While a pool of muck was there to break our fall, my temple still struck the terrain with a clunk.

Everything seemed to black out forever. I slowly opened my listing eyes to blurred vision. There was a distinct ringing in my ears as my head pulsed with pain. Over the ringing, I heard Hans mumbling something as his obscure figure towered over me. Forever turned out to be seconds as he dragged me to my feet. His firm hands rigorously shook me from the collar and my eyesight returned. "Get up!" he demanded.

I groaned in my dizzied stupor. My legs scarcely budged and I sank in Hans' arms. He gasped as the raptor pack leapt into the enclosure behind him. Hans threw me over his shoulder and bolted in the opposite direction. My chin smeared against his sweat-soaked back and I watched the raptors gaining on us. Hans panted profusely and quickened his pace. My heart raced and breaths shortened as the lead raptor closed in on my face.

Just when I thought death would find me, I felt Hans grab my legs and toss me like a rag doll. I landed outside an open gate and Hans raced to slide it shut. The raptors crashed into the entryway as he struggled to push it closed. I caught my breath and watched Hans plant his feet into the ground. With a mighty roar of his own, he slammed his back against the gate to push back. The raptors' claws scraped and clamored at its edges with equal force. Hans' heels dug deep trenches across the dirt as he struggled to hold on. I fought to muster my own strength while the captain's faded. He grit his teeth and pressed against the gate with sweaty palms. With a furious shake of my head, I came to my sense and rushed the entryway. I rammed into the gate, injuring my shoulder but applying enough pressure to seal it. Hans dropped to his knees and hurriedly pulled the lock into place. I noticed an yellow-lighted locking mechanism beside the gate and slammed it into place. The raptors clawed away at the gate as we backed away and caught our breath. Their ferocity dwindled and their thin tails darted back into the bushes.

"Now you tell me," Hans panted. "What lunatic creates killing machines like that, puts them in a zoo, and thinks nothing would go wrong?"

I massaged my throbbing shoulder. "A faithful person with money to burn," I groaned.

"What you call faith I call delusion." Hans stood up and observed the area. "What the hell was Hammond thinking with a place like this? Where are we even?"

We approached an expansive, cobalt compound comprised of multiple facilities. Powerful spotlights remained on, leaving us unsure if anyone inhabited the buildings. I remembered Papá saying the island had been evacuated during the storm and especially after the "endorsement incident." A fear crept within as I considered the possibility of Suarez establishing a base inside. Hans and I remained vigilant as we entered the premises.

The captain insisted on leading with his gun at the ready. "Do you have any bullets _left_?" I jested.

Hans glared at me and gave the pistol a cocking. "Enough to get the job done." He realized how loud he was and brought his voice to a whisper. Even the gentlest footstep echoed as we entered a grandiose lobby. Pale walls, chalky tiles, and ivory pillars blended enough white to make us feel like we'd entered the gates of heaven. This was further exemplified by vending machines left nearly full and operational water fountains. Hans and I limped over and threw ourselves against the semi-chilled water, reveling in delicious hydration.

Hans wiped his mouth yet his lips still dripped. "We must bring the others to hide out here," he said.

There was a distant, raucous racket upstairs. "That's if the rest of this place is safe," I remarked.


	8. Chapter 8 - Super Carlito Maker

**Chapter: 8 Super Carlito Maker**

Hans rounded the upper corridor with his pistol drawn. I checked the opposite side as if my fists could actually do something. With both points clear, I observed a bulletin board lined with various doctors and assignments. The procedures ranged from monitoring feeding habits to full genetic enhancements over the dinosaurs.

"It's safe to say we've found a lab," I said. A twinge of fear gripped me when Hans didn't answer. I spun to find myself alone in the hallway and rushed to find him. My heels squeaked as I slid past the corner and I discovered Hans hunched over. "Captain?" I worried.

He stared remorsefully at himself in the mirror and rubbed his blonde head. "What is a captain without a hat?" he asked and sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry about your family hat," I said. "It-"

A machinal grinding rang out from all around us. We backed up against the mirror and braced for the worst, yet it never came. A series of high-pitched chirps accompanied the grinding and we moved to investigate. We stepped into an expansive workshop where a metal crane was sliding across the ceiling. A pack of tiny, lime green dinosaurs chirped away as the equipment slowly dangled over their enclosure. It released several meat strips and the dinosaurs swarmed to consume it.

"They're like little molted birds," Hans remarked.

"Pretty lethal-looking though," I quipped. "It looks like the crane feeding them is automated." I leaned toward the balcony and examined one of the scientist's notes. "Compsognathus," I read.

Hans peeled a sticky note off the nearby desk. "Keep hands away from compy containment unit." He scoffed and stared at the little demons as they shredded flesh. "Seems self explanatory."

The compys were no bigger than my twelve inch action figures yet they appeared to be capable predators. I would hate to see what they'd do to a human. We continued down the hall, listening to multiple feeders traversing the ceilings on conveyor belts. The scientists may have evacuated the facility, but not without giving their specimens a fighting chance. A nearby directory caught my eye and my finger darted to the uppermost label. "A control room," I said.

We followed the winding, creepily clean stairs to the tallest room in the compound's center. Tile transitioned to soft, well-vacuumed carpet as we entered the primary control room. InGen's blue insignia was etched into the flooring and lit by a multitude of flickering monitors. The majority of the screens displayed other offices and dinosaur enclosures. Flashbacks triggered when I saw a staticky pachycephalosaur pent up in confinement. A three-horned triceratops groaned from another section with a calf wailing beside it. Other cameras revealed images of the forested perimeter and surrounding areas.

I took a seat to rest my legs while Hans recovered a radio from one of the chargers. "Let me see if I can match the frequency we were using," he said and twisted the dials. "Bruce...Nanako...this is Captain Reicher. Please respond."

Relief flashed across his face as Bruce's voice came through. "Cap?" he sighed. "Where are you? We can't find the kid anywhere."

"He's with me," Hans assured. "We were forced to flee after some...uhhh-"

"Velociraptors," I said.

"Those," Hans finished. "But we've discovered a facility that could act as a haven." He stepped towards a widespread map of the island and dragged a finger across it. "We're southwest of the harbor. We can take a moment here and then make for the _Entente_ together."

As if triggered by fate's cruel hand, a corner monitor came to my attention. Billowing smoke mixed with crashing waves on the faded, silver screen. Hans and Bruces' conversation carried on as I leaned over. "We're not too far from your position," Bruce said. "Are there any mountains marked on the map?"

I accessed a nearby mouse and clicked the rewind button. "Head south at the base of the mountains," Hans instructed. "Any further and you'll have missed the facility."

"Copy that," Bruce said. "Can't wait to get off this rock."

"You and I both," Hans replied. His celebratory demeanor crumbled as he loomed over my seat. "Hold on," he said and squinted his eyes. Despite the grainy footage, he could still make out the battered hull and blasted boards. "I know that dock...and those metals." I rewound the feed and resumed as two figures leapt from the _Entente_. Their matching uniforms easily distinguished them as Viborasup to no good. The mercenary's heads swayed across the dock and their legs twitched with anticipation. "What the hell?" Hans whispered.

Our eyes remained glued to the screen as both mercenaries beckoned a third to jump off the boat. She hurriedly leapt off the bow and the trio sprinted back to land. Hans and I flinched as the screen flashed white for a moment. A detonation blasted the ship's front half and took a chunk of the dock with it. I covered my mouth in fright and slowly looked to Hans. He bit his lip and never once blinked. His drumming fingers became claws scraping at the desk. If losing his hat was his father's legacy, I couldn't imagine what losing the _Entente_ was doing to him. It must've been like watching a child die with how much he cared for that ship. I tried to click away but he shoved my hand, clearly wanting to see it through. Though he couldn't be with her in person, he would grant the _Entente _a proper sending off. He kept his eyes focused as it listed and sank beneath the waves. Flames engulfed the upper half and funnels collapsed like broken limbs. The _Entente's_ ailing engines leaked like impaled organs spewing into the sea. Its cracked windows flooded like eyes swollen with tears. The great horn that once channelled Hans' proud voice floated away, dented and charred. The footage transitioned to the same shrouding smoke that'd attracted my attention and the monitor went black. Everything we'd chosen to take with us, was gone within a matter of seconds. 

"They did what?" Nanako blurted.

"The ship's gone," Bruce reiterated. "You saw the footage and I'm not gonna put the captain through watching it again." He paced around the control room as it became our new base of operations.

With the _Entente_ eliminated, the facility seemed like our only haven. I couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before Suarez brought her wrath upon it as well. We'd sprawled out couch cushions for Mamá and propped up her leg. I held her hand and watched our group's indecisiveness unfold. The factors may had changed, but it was as if the conflict I'd fled never ceased. Nanako and Bruce were back to barking at one another, neither thinking of a solid plan. Any time Mamá tried to get a word in, she was either ignored or nulled by her injuries. My worry for her grew as I observed her swollen, blistering leg. Hans reverted to silence and stared down one of the halls. In time, all gazes shifted to the permanence capsule on the table. Each of our reflections traced perfectly across its sleek frame as we pondered what to do with it. Bruce's stern stare faltered into one of uncertainty. Nanako was twitchy, yet it was unclear where any of that energy would be directed toward. Hans carried the weight of his fallen legacy over his shoulders and Mamá had suffered enough.

I believe it was in those moments that something changed within me. I suppose I'd been getting molded into something else the entire time, but particularly in that moment. Commander Suarez was death's herald, and she'd chased us across the island to live up to that title. We'd entered her destructive path all for a bunch of DNA strands swirling in vials. I choked realizing that was what Papá died for. I wondered if Hammond even knew what kind of horror he'd hurled his so-called "best group" into. It couldn't all have been for nothing. I dared to speak up in the silence of our turmoil.

"Enough," I said. The others turned as I rose from my seat. "I can't take the fighting between each other anymore. This isn't what Papá died for. If there is to be conflict, it's our enemies who should pay."

While Bruce sympathized and resigned, Nanako remained stern. "And what would you have us do?" she jeered. "You wanna make a statement like that at a time like this, you better have a damn plan."

"Nanako," Mamá scolded tiredly.

"No she's right," I replied. "This whole time I've felt like dead weight being dragged around. I've been a liability and no matter what Mamá says..." I hung my head and harnessed my anguish. "I am in part responsible for Papá's death." I looked up at each of my companions as Hans stepped back into the room. "I can't stand by anymore. We can't let this pass by and we certainly can't give in. By destroying the _Entente_, Suarez solidified the rules: Only one group is getting off this island alive."

Bruce scowled yet offered a brief nod. He knew what his former boss was capable of and gave me a chance to speak on it. "What would you have us do, kiddo?" he asked.

Everyones' glares struck me like bullets from a firing squad. "We fight," I proclaimed with arms spread wide. "We've got our castle all around us to fortify. If we're only gonna get picked off, why not make a final stand?" I rose and took a deep, solemn breath. "I'm done running," I said. "What would I...what any of us...think of ourselves tomorrow?"

There was a long, heavy pause over the room. For a moment, I actually felt like my words had a purpose over the group. As if Papá had spoken through me to help the others listen. If I imagined hard enough, I felt as tall as he was. Bruce humored me with a smirk and stood to meet me. "Kid," he said. "Our options are pretty damn limited here and we can't afford any second chances." I braced for a striking rebuttal. "Your plan just might work." I raised my head in shock as he nodded. "We've got to take Suarez head on. If we called for a chopper, that tenacious scum would shoot it down. Send in a sub and she'd find a way to sink it. She won't quit but neither will we. I'm with you."

Nanako huffed and sulked out of her chair. She crossed her arms and raised a brow at me. "You'd have zero chance of success without me so...why not?" she said.

"I can't move much," Mamá muttered and shimmied to hold my hand. "But that doesn't mean I won't fight."

We craned our necks to the doorway as Bruce asked, "What say you, captain?"

Hans stared at his empty, dirt-stained hands and clenched them. His fingers cracked as he did so and he grit his teeth. "When I was a boy, my vater and I would go hunting." he whispered. "Rabbits, squirrels, but mostly deer. One time we'd ventured further than we should've from our encampment." Hans' calm manner succumbed to his flaring nostrils and quivering eye. "A pack of wolves had tracked us and our family dog, Saxon, was killed. I was so frightened, but vater said there was only one solution." He leered at us and glowered. "Kill them all."

I gulped. "So...you're...in?" I asked and Hans nodded slowly.

"Couldn't he just yes instead of being all Jack Torrance?" Bruce quipped.

"Note to self," Nanako remarked. "Pray the captain goes down with the ship. Because if he doesn't, there's hell to pay." She practically threw herself into the central office chair and spun it. "If this is our base, I'm gonna see what kind of tech we've got at our disposal." Her eyes widened as she observed different dinosaurs via camera feed. "Oh," she began. "This'll get dicey."

"We're counting on it," Bruce assured her and pulled me aside. "Before we draw Suarez in, I want to familiarize myself with the facility. Hans and I are gonna be the first line of defense out there." He brandished a scraped shotgun from over his shoulder. "During our hike here, Nanako and I picked this bad boy off a corpse. Fully loaded too. The poor bastard didn't get to fire a shot."

"Mercenary?" I asked.

Bruce shook his head. "Park ranger by the looks of it. At least from what was left of him. I'll have to make every shot count."

"True," Nanako said. "But maybe not as sparingly as you feared." She spun her chair and brandished a coy smirk. We followed her proud finger toward security footage of an armory on the lower floor. Despite all of our tribulations, I had never seen Bruce run as fast as he did for that armory. One would've thought he was kid running for the Christmas tree. With more weapons at his disposal, he gladly handed Mamá his newfound shotgun before departing. Hans rushed after him, eager to get his hands on more firepower as well.

"We might actually stand a chance," Mamá said. She practiced aiming the shotgun and pressing its stock against her shoulder.

"I'll take any chance right now," I replied. "I'm going to follow Bruce's advice and get to know the facility. You should stay here with Nanako." She rolled her eyes and gestured to her leg. Embrassment consumed me as I staggered. "Right...Lo siento."

I took the time to examine the control room's entry points on opposite sides. While one corridor led towards the upper balconies, the adjacent would take you down to the lobby. I followed the latter and passed a chrome technician's cart. An array of radios stretched from flashing battery packs and I plucked one free. My gaze shifted between that of the radio and the nearby security camera. With uplifted curiosity, I turned the radio on and flipped through its limited channels. Four became my new lucky number as Nanako responded.

"The hell are you calling me on?" she asked.

"I just found us a whole stack of new radios and it doesn't look like Suarez can pick up our frequency," I said. "How are things looking up there?"

We experienced a blackout for a moment before each bulb powered back on. "You tell me," she gloated. "I've got access to the lab's electrical grid, which also means any of these containment units are at my disposal."

"That's super," I replied. "Just...don't release anything now okay?"

"No promises."

An idea crossed my mind and I hastily called her back. "Nanako, can you shut down the automated carnivore feeders?"

"I think I know what you're getting at, but the only carnivores in here are these scrawny lizards showing up in one of the upper labs."

I smirked. "Trust me, they're a lot deadlier than they look." I descended to the lobby to find Bruce and Hans stocking up. Mr. Boutwell had commandeered both available assault rifles and strapped a sidearm to his thigh. He pat a single grenade on his bandolier, just as he did from the visitor's center. The lone explosive had survived the entire journey until our last line of defense. Hans fastened one pistol to his belt and stuffed another in the back of his pants. My short time with him had shown he wasn't the most proficient shooter. Any hits he'd landed on the raptors were at extremely close range, and I feared rage would only lessen his accuracy. I found security knowing Bruce was the one holding the rifles. It was rather artful watching him pace about the room and aim at different corners. He'd crouch in hallways and practice rolling to see which cover was easiest to get to. Bruce often mumbled to himself, imagining where enemies would enter from and pretended to counter them.

"I found lab exclusive radios upstairs," I said. "If you're heading back up to the control room, be sure to pick one up."

The duo marched off as I slid across the tile. I chose to exit the premises from the opposite side from which I'd entered. I didn't feel like reliving the raptor incident and knowing those hyperintelligent creatures were still out there left me nervous. Still, I wondered if their current captivity could serve us in the defense. As I stepped out of the air conditioning and into the morning's humidity, I tried to visualize the situation as one big game. It was like I was designing my own level of _Super Mario_. The capsule was our princess and the facility its castle. Every asset within was a trap we could lay at our disposal. The only factor left unknown, was if Suarez would take the bait.

I shouldn't have strolled as far off across the grounds as I did, but it was nice to get some alone time. Staying within the facility's parameters still provided me with some sense of safety. I ran my hands across the dirt trail and envisioned if Suarez's troops came down through it. Perhaps I was just trying to be like Bruce in my own, nonviolent sort of way. _How many mercenaries could possibly be left?_ I thought to myself. A cacophony of grinds and rumbles rang out from behind me and I took it as Nanako testing the systems.

"Carlito," Nanako called. Her voice was barely audible over the whir of machinery.

I cranked up the volume and pressed the radio to my ear. "Weird to hear you call me my actual name," I jeered. "You-"

"Shut up and listen to me," she spoke grievously. "I've got eyes on you right now." I glanced up at the nearest security camera as she continued. "How fast can you get back inside?"

"Is it Suarez?" I asked.

"No. How fast?"

The mechanical sounds were nothing more than a shroud for the stomp of carniverous feet lumbering throughout the jungle. Before I could answer her, I found myself encountering an all too familiar set of yellow eyes. The titanic carcharodontosaurus had returned with mouth agape and devilish tail in tow. Like an insect to a lamp, the carc listed toward one of the overhead lights and nipped at it. I deduced the overall commotion at the facility had drawn it in for feeding. It snorted frenetically and perked its head towards me. I stood stuck in the dirt, recalling the helpless iguanodon struggling in its jaws...or how the creature's last attack nearly killed Mamá. To me, the carc's sinister snarl translated to an ominous "you're next." It advanced and I risked looking back at the facility. A whirlwind of options battered my mind as I contemplated bolting for the nearest door, but that would mean the utter destruction of the plan we'd set in motion. I knew what devastation the carc was capable of after the previous encounter.

"Run!" Nanako screeched over the radio without hesitation. The device's odd pitch goaded the carc to charge and I bolted left instead. The predator gave chase as I battled my aching body to press on. "Bruce! Hans!" I overheard Nanako. "Carlito's got the carc on his tail in the yard. I'll keep tracking if you go help!"

_No! _I raged as timed slowed. I understood how dire things seemed, but gunshots could lure Suarez in before we were ready. Time was running out and I had to end this. The carc roared as I threw myself under a park jeep. I crawled under as the carc bit down on the bumper. My heart raced as the wheels were suddenly lifted off of the ground. Packed mounds of mossy dirt bombarded my face as the carc flung the jeep upside down. I hobbled to the nearest enclosure and prayed it wasn't the one we'd trapped raptors in. My tired eyes found the fence's designation and warning labels. While the carc was busy mutilating the jeep, I scrambled to press the radio's call button. "Nanako! Power down the fence for section L-M, but be ready to turn it back when I give the signal."

"It's gonna take a moment to find that," Nanako replied. "Hold tight."

The carc grew tired of its fruitless attack. It headbutt the ravaged jeep and returned its focus to me. "Please hurry!" was all I could scream into the radio before making a sprint for the fence.

"Alright," Nanako said. "I-"

The radio unclipped from my belt as I ran. It was too late to go back as it sunk into the ground. I could only hope she meant to say she'd powered the fence down and that she could read my mind. I took a literal leap of faith and sprung towards the heavily-wired fencing. If the electrocution didn't kill me, a self-induced heart attack would. Any sting on my palms was merely from the impact and I began to climb. My forearms burned as I heaved myself higher. Being the prehistoric bulldozer it was, the carc barreled directly into the fencing. The enclosure was definitely meant for smaller dinos as the carnivore's impact dislodged multiple wires and posts. One of the upper bars severed from above and I dropped to evade it. The carc struggled to break free, but was entangled in the loose wiring. I struck its scaly spine and rolled off the tail. The fallen bar impaled the carc's ribcage and it let out a screech. Blood oozed from the wound as I rolled to the ground beside it. I swiftly recovered the radio and called Nanako back. "Now!" I shouted.

L-M's generator restarted and bright sirens blared. The wiring tightened the more its wounded captive struggled. A powerful surge of electricity flared through each snare as the carc flailed. It twitched and convulsed under blinding bolts of loose electricity. Sparks crackled off the impaled bar, which had become a lethal lightning rod into the hapless dinosaur. I watched on until the carc's already blackened skin grew charred and seared. "Power down," I called in. The generator slowly silenced and the carc's head fell with it. The putrid stench of singed flesh filled the air as I slowly backed away. I bumped directly into Bruce and Hans, who were standing aghast at the sight.

No one said a word as the three of us returned to the control room. Our footsteps were the loudest echo in the entire lab until we reach the upper floor. The creak of the door caught Mamá and Nanako's attention as we stumbled in. Everyone but Mamá had witnessed what had occurred. Given her limited mobility, she was forced to endure listening to it all unfold. I was no stranger to how the imagination could play tricks on one's fears. I took a seat to catch my breath and Bruce handed me some water.

Mamá wouldn't settle for silence and urgently broke it. "What happened?" she asked. "Mijo? Are you alright?"

Still reeling from the experience, I tried to piece together how fast everything had occurred. I had to remind myself what I'd actually gone through with. Bruce replied to her before I could speak. He had a gratified grin, yet still stood in disbelief. "Rosa," he said with a shake of his head. "Your son is better than alright. He's goddamn Super Mario."


	9. Chapter 9 - Zero Hour

**Chapter: 9 Zero Hour**

_"Suarez...come in Commander Suarez."_

_"Ahhh, Mr. Boutwell. _

_¿Cómo estás, mí amigo?"_

_"You lost the right to call me that long ago."_

_"Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we? This jungle pursuit has gone far enough. Are you ready to accept my offer?"_

_"Research facility approximately fifteen miles from the harbor. We'll leave the lights on for you."_

_"That's a good boy."_

_"This is the last time we'll ever speak. You want the embryos, you'll have to kill us."_

_"Bruce, weren't you listening? Don't make this any harder-"_

_"No, it's your turn to listen. I let your crimes go on longer than they ever should of and that was my burden to bear. Now this only ends in blood. Amanda Suarez. You want the embryos, come get'em."_

_"See you in hell, Bruce."  
_

_..."Not this time."_

All pressure was on with Bruce's call completed. As expected, Commander Suarez had accepted the challenge without hesitation. Bruce's ultimatum was more truth than it ever was a threat. Only one of our groups was ever getting off Isla Nublar alive. We could only hope our wits and willingness to survive would be enough to win us the day. At least we hoped the attack would come during the day. Hours passed after our initial preparations and Suarez hadn't made a single move. Nanako and I scoured the control room's cameras for any signs of movement, but it was as if the Viboras had disappeared. They had become actual serpents, lurking in the unknown and poised to strike when we least expected. My boldness had dwindled into a rising nervousness. Nausea drove me to vomit until my knees weakened and forearms grew stiff. I couldn't bring myself to replenish nutrition in the downtime, and I wondered if this was Suarez's plan all along.

The loud silence became torturous with each prolonged moment. Every snap of a twig outside...every rustle of the vents within...paranoia was prying at our minds and shredding us apart. Mamá's wound was worsening and she had begun to spike a fever. What little antibiotics we'd foraged from the lab didn't leave much of an impact on her condition. I still admired her bravado, but feared it was more for show than it was anything else. Hans was twitchy and prepared for battle, yet even his eagerness subsided as the hours stretched. The only one who seemed remotely calm was Bruce. He looked like he was back in the Gulf War, posted at whatever base he'd been shipped off to. I watched him slowly traverse the halls, conserving his strength yet remaining vigilant at all times. I admired his ceaseless discipline as he stood guard. While I knew we needed to work as a team to survive, I secretly hoped he'd be able to win this war himself.

The sun was setting and no one dared to sleep. Whatever fiery orange hues remained highlighted a silhouette from downstairs. Bruce entered the control room and Nanako masked a yawn. "What are you doing up here?" she asked. "You can't keep checking on us like this. We'll radio you if anything happens."

"I know," Bruce assured. "This is my last time coming up." I didn't appreciate his tone. "All of you need to keep the faith," he said as he looked to me. "This control room is the last line of defense but God willing it doesn't come to it. As soon as I leave, lock both doors and keep'em locked. If something goes wrong, you two are small enough to get out through the air vents."

"And what about Mamá?" I asked. "She can't climb let alone crawl with her leg."

Bruce and Mamá shared grim glances. "Kid-" he started until Mamá stopped him.

"Mijo," she said softly. "We think it's best if I hold up in a different room." I rose to interject but she silenced me with her hand. "Escúchame, por favor. I know you want to protect me like your father would, but Geraldo would care for the entire group. He would trust his team to make the right decisions. If the situation gets out of hand and I'm here, you will lose me. That's a fact."

I hated to admit it, but she was right. No matter how much I didn't want to lose her too, my only hope was to let her go for the time being. I couldn't trust myself to single-handedly protect her when I couldn't even pull a trigger. "Where will you go?" I asked.

Mamá looked relieved that I'd made the decision easy for her. "There's a storage closet away from the main facility," she said. "I'll be safely tucked away in there and the door will be locked. You need not worry for me." She knew I couldn't do that and caressed my cheek. "Give me some trust, amor."

_What choice do I have?_ I thought to myself. With an earnest nod, I yielded to Mamá's wishes. She kissed my forehead and struggled to strap the shotgun to her back. "I love you, Carlito."

"And I love you," I whispered back.

Bruce scooped Mamá in his arms and made for the door. "No matter what happens...no matter what you hear," he said. "Do not open this door. You stay as far away from me as possible."

Mamá wiped the sweat from her brow and gave Bruce a nudge. "Before we go, can you grab that?" she pointed to an elongated mirror placed against one of the desks.

"Why?" Bruce inquired. "You wanna look your best?"

"I need you to trust me too," she insisted.

Bruce shrugged and dislodged the mirror from the wall. "Nanako," he said. "I'm counting on you to spring those traps and give me callouts."

Nanako nodded and leaned away from the computer. "I've got your back," she replied. "And about all that shit back there. You know, all the-"

"We all argue," Bruce said. "Even soldiers do. But in the end I have nothing but respect for you, Nanako." He took a heavy step out the doorway and glanced back at me. Mamá peered over his shoulder and I tried to ignore the sweat coating her temple. "Carlito," Bruce said. "De Oppresso Liber." He chuckled at my bewildered silence. "It's the code Green Berets live by. 'To free the oppressed.' When you stand up to someone like Suarez, just remember that's what you're doing. Stay strong, Super Mario."

The door slowly swung as Mamá sunk into Bruce's arms. His head swiveled forward and the last I saw of him was his wide back before the door shut entirely. Hearing both that entrance and the one across from it lock prompted melancholy feelings. Truthfully I didn't know who I'd see again or how things would turn out. The only certainty was that Nanako and I were the final line. I cradled the permanence capsule like it was my own child, or many I suppose. "De Oppresso Liber," I reiterated. Oh how many things that could mean.

I really should've gone to the restroom before we sealed ourselves in the control room. As day transitioned to night, my willingness to hold it diminished. Eventually Nanako grew tired of my incessant groans and told me to go in the corner trashcan. Embarrassment gave way to circumstance as I reluctantly went through with it. We had plenty of ensuing hours to get used to the stench of urine. Our nostrils were practically clogged by our malodorous clothing anyway.

My eyes became heavier as I stretched out every yawn. Anxiety and nausea fought to keep me awake. Nanako and I stared at the digital clock as it struck 3 AM. While I remained focused on it, Nanako's head craned upward. She shook off her daze and threw her arms toward the keyboard. "Hold up," she whispered.

"What?" I mumbled. I squinted to ease my burning eyes and followed her fingers across a monitor.

Nanako followed two lines of shadows shifting from the treeline. They rushed parallel of each other, moving in intricate formations as they neared the facility. Nanako uttered the very words to stoke my nerves, "Here we go." She flipped on her headset and adjusted the microphone. "Rosa, Bruce, Hans. She's here. Coming in from the south yard where Carlito fried the carc."

"Copy that," Bruce replied. "Switching spots."

"Verstanden," Hans called in.

I watched with crossed arms and bated breath as our men crept from monitor to monitor. "Rosa," Nanako radioed again. "Do you read? Rosa?" She glanced at me after the long pause and bit her lip. "I'm sure she shut her radio off to remain hidden." It was hard not to imagine Mamá passed out in the storage closet after succumbing to her wound. I countered such fears by focusing on the screens.

The Viboras set up a tactical perimeter outside the facility. It was as if I was reliving their attack on the visitor center, only this time we were prepared for them. Despite wearing night vision goggles like the rest of her unit, Suarez was easily recognizable by the way she carried herself. Her furious stride led the way as her arm swiftly, yet silently gave orders. Like a pack of precise predators, the mercenaries circled and examined the carcharodontosaurus. Suarez jabbed two fingers forward and one of her men rushed to the beast's head. His assessment of its state was meticulous and cautious. I watched Nanako's hand slide towards the power switch for the L-M enclosure. Her finger stiffened and she pursed her lips.

"As tempting as it is to see him fry," she said. "I can't risk setting things off early."

"If only Suarez went up on the fence instead," I added.

"I still wouldn't do it," Nanako replied sternly. "Don't let your own wish for payback alter how this goes. This is about everyone, and killing Suarez alone still leaves us with a shit ton of mercs to deal with."

I stood up as Nanako sat back. Her focus melded perfectly with a sturdy calmness. Juxtaposed against her demeanor, I was transfixed on the screens with panic in my heart. My breaths shallowed as the backdoors to the lobby creaked open. Gun barrels poked in like demonic digits swaying from side to side. The Viboras entered in V formation and fanned across the room. A select group bunched up around Suarez as she observed the staircase.

Nanako gently pressed on her communicator. "I count seventeen in the lobby," she said. "Looks like she just sent two down the east hall on the first floor."

I loomed over her shoulder and watched the footage of the second floor. Bruce and Hans took up positions in opposite rooms upstairs. Bruce looked up at the camera, lowered his rifle, and made a snapping motion with his hands. Nanako caught the signal and moved into action. "One blackout coming right up," she said. With a flurry of types and a click, every light in the facility powered down. Only the monitors kept the control room illuminated as we sat in the shadows.

Back in the lobby, the Viborasdirely set up defenses. They dropped into cover wherever applicable while some of them stumble momentarily. Meanwhile, Hans and Bruce snuck out of their respective rooms and crept to the overhead balconies. Suarez took a knee and reached for her goggles. "Switch back to night vision," she ordered. Her troops followed suit as Nanako readied herself. Once their goggles were activated, she speedily turned the lights back on to disorient them. The blinding lobby lights seemed to work like a charm as the Viboras staggered about. Their electronics were so sensitive that light overloaded the imaging cells, ultimately blasting them with incredibly bright light. They started flinging off their goggles only to immediately be met by muzzle flashes from above.

Bruce unloaded a round from his assault rifle, instantly wounding some mercenaries and striking one in the head. Hans drew his pistol from the opposite balcony and fired indiscriminately into the scattered group. Viboras sprung out and furiously returned fire. Gunfire crackled on the computer speakers but thundered down the halls. Bullets tattered and ricocheted off the railings, forcing Bruce to retreat. Hans tried his luck at getting more shots in. He was able to graze a mercenary but ultimately gave away his position. One man rushed up the stairs, but Bruce riddled his back with bullets and sent his corpse rolling. He lingered too long, giving a merc enough time to land a daunting shot into his shoulder. I gasped as Bruce stumbled back into the wall.

"No!" Hans called.

"Just run, damn it!" Bruce grunted as blood sprayed the wallpaper behind him. He threw his arm for Hans to flee down the opposite corridor. "Stay away!"

"Push up!" Suarez screeched. "Leave the wounded and get Boutwell! The rest will crumble after." My heart beat as fast as the Viboras speeding up the stairs.

"Come on, big guy." Nanako urged. "Get up!" Bruce clenched his shoulder, rose to his feet, and sprinted down a hallway. "Let's give them a better chance," she said and switched the facility to a lower light source. I wasn't sure what good it would do them if the Viboras went back to night vision.

Bruce didn't count on Suarez's troops rounding the other corner. He hurriedly took aim as another firefight ensued. Name placards and ceiling panels bursted as the hallway lit up with combat. Bruce wounded a foe but was tackled from behind. He gasped as his rifle slid out of reach. The mercenary took notice of Bruce's shoulder injury and exploited with several jabs. The former Green Beret snarled in pain, but endured the hefty blows. Acting like he was falling over, Bruce instead grabbed the mercenary's pistol off his holster and unloaded three shots into his torso. His fallen foe slouched against Bruce's body and became a personal body shield for the incoming gunfire. Bruce charged up the hallway, blindly firing through the corpse's armpit until he recovered his rifle and rolled away.

Hans had two mercenaries hot on his heels with others racing up corners. He shot one during a stairwell descent and flailed his arms at the nearest camera. "Now!" he yelled.

"This early?" I queried. "But-"

"Head left, Hans!" Nanako called. "That pathway is clear."

"Now!" he insisted.

He waited too long and more mercs poured in from the left. "Damn you," she cursed. Nanako slammed on a release switch and alarms rang out from the lower level. Chrome gateways raised like colosseum doors and beastly groans emanated from within. A high-pitched mewling followed as a pair of triceratops exited containment. Hans crawled under the base of the stairs as the Viboras grouped up below.

"Hold!" one of them hollered in response to the dinosaurs. "No sudden movements." The baby triceratops whimpered and crawled to its mother, who kept its eyes focused on the troops.

The Viboras slowly ascended together while those down the hall backed away. "I could easily pop that thing," a mercenary said with her shotgun at the ready. "Right between the eyes."

"Just let it pass," the previous man said. "Let it-"

Hans shot between the stairs and blew a hole in his ankle. The mercenary screamed and fired wildly at the ceiling. He fell forward as the sounds set the mother triceratops on a rampage. It charged and the shotgunner steadied her weapon. "Bring it!" she goaded only to be rammed by an unseen dino. This second creature surged out of captivity like a miniature bulldozer. I recognized its muffled screeches from our earlier capers as the pachycephalosaurus made its grand entrance.

By the time mercenaries turned to engage the dome-skulled dino, the triceratops had flanked from the other side. One of its mighty horns impaled a man while it barreled through the rest. Weapons discharged and bones crunched under its titanic prowess. Rather than linger, the triceratops and its infant trampled Viboras and crashed out one of the exits. Contrary to them, the pachycephalosaurus continued to rampage down a separate passage.

Nanako urgently called Hans. "That's as good as a diversion as you're going to get," she intoned. "Now get out of their and head around back. You've got three more mercs closing in. Bruce, how are you holding up?"

My eyes darted to an alternate monitor where Bruce was hidden in an office. "I'll get back to you," he whispered. The door opened as a mercenary stepped in. His rifle swayed across the desks and boots crunched loose papers. I watched as Bruce slowly drew a combat knife as his foe crept near him. Like a predator poised for the kill, he leaned back with his arm in striking distance. The man took another step and Bruce stabbed his calf. He sliced upward and sprung to cover the mercenary's mouth. Bruce yanked him to the floor and repeatedly stabbed him in the neck. His enemy's struggle lessened and Bruce rolled the body off of him.

"Jesus," I remarked. If Mamá had been with me, she'd slap me with a shoe for using our savior's name in vain. I greatly feared for her during this ordeal and checked the feed to find her door still closed.

Nanako bolted up in her seat. "Don't get too comfy," she said. "You got another one entering from the right!"

"Shit," Bruce grumbled and launched towards the doorway. He didn't bother to reach for a gun and kept his weapon raised. Just as Nanako had called in, a mercenary entered only to take Bruce's knife to the chest. He put all of his weight on the foe as they fell over, driving the knife deeper until the hilt met his sternum. He rigorously twisted it for extra measure as a pair of boots tromped across the way.

"Bruce!" Nanako warned.

"Got it," he assured. Within seconds, Bruce rolled off of his kill and fired his rifle down the hall. His bullets tinged and rebounded off of the mercenary's body with astounding ease. "I don't got it," he panted as his empty rifle clicked.

The fully-armored mercenary laughed, her voice muffled beneath a dense helm. "Alright, traitor." she said. "Now it's my turn." With a brutish grunt, she hauled a mammoth machine gun just above her knees. It was the kind I'd read about in history books or seen in the news. Only in those scenarios, the monstrous piece of firepower had to be mounted. The mercenary's biceps were bigger than my head as they flexed forward. Her rippling forearms strained as she straightened a seemingly endless chain of ammunition.

"Get out of there!" I haplessly shouted at the screen.

She opened fire as Bruce ducked into the office. Thick bullets tore clean holes in the wall and completely unhinged the doors. Circuitboards flared and and computer screens exploded as the mercenary sprayed the area. Her shots were ear-splitting even from the control room. She paused to feed another belt of bullets into her weapon. "Come out, come out," she taunted into the smoke. Bruce poked out from behind and delivered two shots. The bullets bounced off her back and neck plates respectively. "Nice try!" she mocked and swung her gun around. Bruce dropped instantly as a wave of bullets obliterated the cubicle behind him. A dislodged ceiling fan swirled out of control and bursted in the crossfire. "I've got plenty of rounds!" she roared. "I can do this all night!"

"Bruce, just run!" Nanako urged. "You can't win that fight!"

There was no way he could hear anything over the chaos in that room. She aimed lower, shredding the carpet and forcing Bruce to a single spot. My heart sank as death drew nearer and Bruce sunk deeper into the floor, making himself as small as possible. She ceased just before his location and reloaded. Empty, smoking shells clattered to the floor as she fed the next belt. Bruce carefully reached for a broken mug and flung it across the room. There was enough powdery debris to shroud the air, keeping his adversary from seeing the object. She pivoted towards the crackle and unleashed a barrage. Rather than plan another attack, Bruce made for the door. He slipped on a ravaged desk and gave his position away. The mercenary swayed her weapon as he dashed out the door. Her fire obliterated the doorframe as Bruce suddenly contorted. Nanako and I gasped as one of the broad bullets tore straight through his calf. The force was enough to send him spiraling against the outside wall.

"Son of a bitch!" he screeched. He clawed his way back to standing position as a trail of blood leaked behind him. His pursuer's ominous stomps closed in from the decimated office. My leg burned merely looking at the bloody hole in Bruce's. He hobbled down the hall as another foe ascended the stairwell. Bruce still mustered the strength to shoot him down but took a tumble in the process. Relief seized me as the heavy gunner searched for Bruce in the opposite corridor.

"Bruce?" Nanako called. "You still with us, general?"

With a barely coherent "Mhm" Bruce forced himself to sit up. "Just...check...corners." He fought through the visible agony to rip off his non-inflicted sleeve. I watched in utter awe as he wrapped his calf and put pressure on it.

"Fräulein," Hans radioed from the furthest possible monitor. "I've got two on my tail but I've lost sight of them. I need you to spring the other trap."

"Damn," Nanako hissed as her head alternated frantically. "Just buy time, Hans."

"I don't _have_ time!" he insisted.

Every shadow, flicker, and blip on the monitors sent Nanako into a tizzy. "I'll watch Hans," I offered. "Just tell me what to do."

Nanako hesitantly bit her lip but obliged. While keeping her gaze fixed on Bruce, she threw her hand towards a switch. "Hans knows where to go," she said. "If anyone follows him into the lab, you pull this once they reach the doorway."

I clasped the cold metal and observed as Hans fled. Frantic curiosity got the best of me and I found myself peeking towards Bruce. He seemed safe for the time being, dressing his aching wounds and frequently checking corners. The rapid blur of mercenaries closing in drew my attention back to Hans. The captain retreated into the lab and ascended to its second floor. My blood ran cold as I noticed Commander Suarez rushing over with the remainder of her troops. I was so fixated on her that it took Nanako's jab to shake me free.

"What are you waiting for?" she screeched at me.

My head swerved in a panic to see a duo of foes poised to take aim from the doorway I should've been watching. Flashes erupted from their muzzles as Hans dove for cover above. One of their shots struck Hans in the shoulder and sent him careening off the balcony. I pulled back on the switch and watched Nanako's trap spring downward. No longer were the automated conveyer belts carrying assorted meats nor were carnivores present to receive them. Instead, Nanako had rigged the belts to carry a tank filled with the now hungering compys. Upon activating the switch, I saw the belt above release the tank in its entirety. The mercenaries ceased fire and looked up, but by then it was too late. Swarms of the tiny, chittering reptiles fell upon them in a cloud of green. Tails flicked around their flailing arms and buckling legs. One mercenary succumbed to her mauling while the other made a run for it. He stumbled down the hall and towards Suarez with compys still ripping at his flesh.

"¿Que cosa?" the commander growled.

"Help!" the underling begged as blood spurted from his lips. Suarez and her men staggered for a moment to observe the situation. One of her troops rushed to help, but only made matters worse. When he pulled a compy off, it ripped a layer of skin with it. By the time he moved on to the next carnivore, the previous had already jumped back on. The man's screams lessened amidst scarlet puddles of dismembered butchery. We wanted to defend ourselves, but I never imaged enacting such torment on our enemies.

"Save your bullets," Suarez said. "He's already gone." Wishing to ease his fellow's suffering, one of her men shot the agonizing mercenary in the head. The compys scattered for a moment but quickly resumed their gruesome banquet. Suarez withdrew her combat knife and buried it in defiant mercenary's throat. "Anyone else feel like disobeying?" she asked as silence ensued. The other Viboras hung their heads, alternating glances between their dead comrade and the still gasping one. "On me," Suarez barked and proceeded to the lab.

Meanwhile, Bruce finished wearily tying his leg as Nanako called him. "Top of the stairs!" she warned.

"Shit," he groaned and forced himself to stand. The pain seemed unbearable and he fell backward against the railing. He looked up and saw the heavy gunner standing over him once more. She laughed maniacally as he futilely reached for his assault rifle. His fingers grazed the stock as it clattered down to his feet.

"E for effort," she mocked and aimed the heavy machine gun down the stairwell. Its tremendous barrel stared him down like a monster's smoking eye and a screech filled the air. First mistaken for the whir of her weapon, both she and Bruce seemed unfazed for a moment. But the unknown sound continued from down the hall. Nanako and I followed the source across various monitors as it closed in on the stairwell. For her, it was returned trauma...and for me, our only hope at saving Bruce. The heavy gunner turned to see a rampaging pachycephalosaurus headed straight for her. Despite her tumultuous strength, she still could not swing her weapon around in time to engage. The dino's domed head rammed directly into her chest and sent her sailing down the stairs. Bruce ducked as she crashed beside him in a daze.

The pachycephalosaurus recovered and dashed down another corridor. Bruce returned his attention to the gunner as she started to come to. Her armored vest cracked where the dino had struck it and she suddenly realized it. Her gaze listed between the gap and Bruce reaching for a pistol. "No!" was all she could utter before he unloaded two shots into her. Her head lurched forward and Bruce breathed a sigh of relief.

"D for dead," he coughed and wiped the blood from his mouth.

He recollected himself and gripped the railing to stabilize. _If only he had the strength to take over that heavy machine gun,_ I thought.

Bruce limped up the stairs as I noticed movement amongst the bodies. One of the mercenaries he'd shot earlier crawled towards him. "Bruce!" Nanako exclaimed in flustered flurry. "Gun! Behind!"

Bruce spun as the wounded foe opened fire. The two exchanged bullets and riddled the stairwell with lead. Bruce's shot met the man's temple, finally silencing him. Our relief came at a price as Bruce collapsed on the stairs with two fresh bullet wounds. Blood seeped from a hole in his torso and another in the right thigh. "No, no!" Nanako shouted into the radio. "Bruce! Please answer. Come on, general!" Our man didn't budge against the cold, steel stairs. Nanako looked back over at Hans, who was also down with a gunshot wound. "Hans, respond!" She furiously threw off her headset. "Damn it all!"

She ran to make sure the doors were locked while I sank back in my chair. Panic possessed me as my greatest fear materialized on screen. A mercenary closed in on the very closet where Mamá was hiding. He had kicked down each previous door and cleared the rooms for people. Now fortune had favored him and I could only hope Mamá was prepared. I felt utterly helpless with our protectors gone and Mamá's communications silenced. The mercenary forced the door open and immediately took aim at Mamá. He fired and I stiffened in my seat. I was as perplexed as he was when her image fell to pieces before his feet. By the time he realized he'd shot up a mirror, Mamá had already pumped her shotgun from behind the door. The blast was powerful enough to send his corpse spiraling into the opposite wall. She then nonchalantly reloaded the gun and closed the door again.

I wasn't sure how many more close calls my heart could take, all while Bruce and Hans still lay motionless. Suarez and her troops entered the lab with their weapons drawn. All they found was Hans' lifeless body and an entry blocked by compys feasting on one of their own. "This is beyond out of hand," a mercenary said. "We need to end this now, commander."

Suarez's eye twitched as she observed her surroundings. "This isn't all Boutwell's doing," she said. Her gaze trailed from the compys to the conveyer belt. "He's got eyes elsewhere." She stared into one of the cameras and unintentionally at us. "It's time to gauge them out." She dragged a finger across one of the directories and tapped on the control room. "Sipoyo and Nomura, you two are with me. The rest of you flank from the opposite side. Converge on the control room!"

"Oh hell," Nanako whispered as we realized what was heading our way. "Quick! Help me get to the vents."

I watched on the monitors as Hans slowly awakened. He did so as the compys finished feasting on the Vibora. As several of the dinos noticed him, he hurriedly bolted for the nearest window and crashed through it. The captain disappeared into the jungle with multiple compys skittering after him. "He's alive," I rejoiced.

"Yeah well we won't be if you don't help me pop this vent!" Nanako yelled. I scurried to her aid as we pulled on the ceiling panel. Its sturdy bolts refused to yield and we resorted to battering away at it. We watched Suarez close in between each tiresome strike.

"Come on!" Nanako begged the panel to open. Her fingers trembled and she fell into me. Just when our enemies seemed to close in on our hopeless selves, I noticed the impossible and pointed towards it. Nanako followed my finger to the flickering stairwell monitor where Bruce was slowly moving forward. She lunged for her headset and cleared her throat. "Bruce?" she said. "Can...you hear me?"

Miraculously, Bruce raised his spasming head. Bloodied but not beaten...weakened but unbroken, he dared to respond. "I...read."

"Holy shit," Nanako sighed. "Bruce I know you've been through hell but this vent isn't moving and Suarez is closing in fast. Hans is nowhere to be found and I don't know how much time we have left. If there's anything you can do...anything you have left...now is the time."

"S-...Suarez." Bruce used his rifle as a crutch to stand. Blood leaked from his legs, shoulder and midsection.

"They're getting closer!" I worried.

"Barricade the doors," Nanako ordered.

"No," Bruce muttered. Nanako and I looked at the monitor with immense confusion, only to realize he wasn't referring to us. "I can't let this...go on. No more...Not now...Not again." He stood tall, permitting blood to flow as he loaded his rifle and screamed into the emptiness. "SUAREZ!" Like a pack leader down to his last breaths, Bruce barreled his way up the stairs and down the halls. "Bring it, you bastards! I'll kill every last one of you!" He roared like a belligerent lunatic.

He caught up with the group about to flank us and practically threw himself on top of them. He used his momentum to drive his rifle smashing through a mercenary's face and fired wildly into the others. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he battled his own injuries to press on. Two mercenaries took cover and returned fire. Being pressed for time and under enough combat stress, Bruce didn't bother to do the same. Instead he hobbled forward and caught them off guard by shooting into the walls. He filled one foe with bullets while another shot him twice in the arm. Bruce showed ceaseless determination and fired the remainder of his ammunition into her. He threw down his empty rifle and scavenged a pistol from her blood-soaked fingers. Having endured six gunshot wounds, Bruce persisted to the control room. Looking at him made me realize how much movies had lied to me. Heroes were always so pristine after conflict, yet here he was with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. It was clear that adrenaline alone was keeping him moving in those gruesome moments as he forced himself on. If I cared to imagine what an American hero was, it'd be Bruce Boutwell.

I sped to remove the barricades from one section of the control room. "He's cleared the flank," I said. "We can let him in."

"Or let ourselves out," Nanako added and gestured to the monitor.

It was a race to see who would get to us first. Suarez and her final two troops were closing in one way while Bruce rushed from the other. Boots clamored until we realized they were outside the door. Nanako and I pushed the final pieces of furniture out of the way and struggled to unlock the door, all while listening to Suarez barge in from the opposite side. We popped it open just as she broke through. We swung the door open to see Bruce standing in front with his pistol raised.

"Drop!" he shouted, so Nanako and I dove between the tables. Suarez and her troops took aim as we covered our heads. Triggers pulled as a furious gunfight erupted. I didn't see a moment of it and kept my head down as gunshots rang out around me. I shuddered while shredded paper, blasted glass, and splintered desk shards rained on me. To my surprise, the firefight ended as abruptly as it had ignited. Dust particles clouded the air as I raised my head and rubbed my ringing ears. Nanako remained unharmed by my side and we peered at the razed room. A lone monitor swayed from the modem until its last wires snapped. Its thunderous crash might as well have been another gunshot.

We dared not speak a word and listened intently to a series of wheezes. Against Nanako's visible wishes, I crawled towards the raspy croaking. I poked my head past one of the desks and saw a pair of bloody boots. Bruce lay pinned against the wall with more bullet holes in him than I could count. His head slouched to one side as blood streamed from the corner of his mouth. His faded, blue eyes listed aimlessly across the tattered carpet. He opened his palm and a button rolled out to me. I was quick to retrieve and wipe the blood from it. It was the same button he'd shown me back in the jungle...a dark reminder of the past he never wished to repeat.

"Bruce," I whispered mournfully and squeezed the button. Despite everything, he still heard me. A tear escaped his eye as he looked to me between shallow breaths. His state tore my insides to absolute shreds. I wanted to do more for him than I could for Papá. I wished to hold him in his final moments, yet the same evil that plagued me couldn't even grant me that.

"It's over," Suarez proclaimed. I sunk back into cover as she emerged with her mercenaries. "Nomura, finish him off and frisk him for the capsule. Sipoyo, help me look for the kids. They're all that's left."

Recalling Bruce's story made the situation all the more painful to watch. Ujio Nomura, once a man who respected and served under Bruce, had now been tasked to end his life disgracefully. Neither Nanako nor I stood a chance against any of them. All we could do was remain hidden and hope for an opening.

I fought to conceal my whimpers as Nomura knelt in front of Bruce. "Look at me," he demanded and drew his knife. He was determined to make him pay for how many Viboras he'd killed. Bruce's head hung forward, infuriating Nomura to the point of grabbing him by the hair. "Traitor!" he boomed. "I said look at me!" In a fit of seething rage, Nomura slammed Bruce's head against the wall as if he hadn't suffered enough. He looked into Bruce's eyes and sneered. The last thing he expected was for Bruce to use his last breath to spit on his face. Nomura was all the more confused by the sound of metal tinging against his nose and onto the rug. He glanced down at a silver ring coated in gore and saliva, only to realize exactly what it was. His widened eyes darted between the discarded pin and the grenade still fastened to Bruce's bandolier. Bruce stared at Nomura until he dropped his knife in disbelief. The mercenary couldn't find the right words to say. When he did, it was far too late. "Oh fu-"

A fiery flash ignited between the two men. It lasted a second before surmounting to a shockwave of heat and smoke. The explosive sound was deafening and hurled debris and bodies across the room. The floor was torn asunder and shattered monitors became lethal projectiles. Both doors leading out of the room exhaled fumes and the fallout blasted the surrounding windows to pieces. I spiraled uncontrollably until I crashed into what remained of the carpeting.

As I slipped in and out of consciousness, I contemplated whether or not Bruce always intended to blow himself up. It'd explain why he told us to keep away from him. I didn't know who was left standing, but it was undoubtedly assured that Nomura was gone along with him. I opened my eyes to the sounds of crackling fire. Those same flames swirled above as loose wires sparked and modules fizzed. My back swelled with clusters of pain from the impact and I rolled to rub it. As I did so, I noticed a vague silhouette take shape across the destroyed flooring. Nanako slowly came into view, coughing and dragging an arm towards me. I inched to her, realizing the rest of her body was buried beneath debris.

I froze in place when rubble shifted across from me. Kaya Sipoyo rose from the ashes, only to collapse face first. She had become a human pin cushion comprised of steel rods, wooden splinters, and peppered shards of shrapnel. Suarez emerged unscathed from underneath, leaving me wondering if Sipoyo's sacrifice was intentional. I considered if she too was just another pawn in the commander's survival game. Suarez stumbled out from the refuse and dusted herself off. She dropped to one knee and roared to the heavens like a fallen angel. My heart pounded as she neared Nanako, who was in no condition to fight nor escape. There was no other option, and I had to risk everything as Papá had for me...as I had for Mamá in the jungle.

"He-" I croaked and cleared my throat. "Hey!" I screamed until my voice cracked. Suarez pivoted ominously as dust clung to her scars. She seemed more bewildered than anything else to see me of all people standing with her at the end. Fury overwhelmed her as I removed the permanence capsule from my backpack. Once she saw the emerald equipment in my hands, all bets were off. She instantly reached for her pistol and I sprinted for the door. I kept my head down as a bullet zipped through the smoke. Two more struck the door frame as I slipped out into the hall.

Suarez pursued, only to take a gunshot to her leg. No amount of crumbling ceiling could keep a spitfire like Nanako out of the fight for long. She had still managed to reach for her gun and buy me time with a well placed shot.

"¡Puta!" Suarez cursed and frantically fired back into the office. I could only pray she missed every shot.

When all seemed devoid of hope, God answered me through Nanako's voice. "Run!" I heard her call to me, and so I did. I tumbled down the stairs and into a dimly lit service corridor. Suarez limped after me and took aim at my last known silhouette. I had never been so relieved to hear the click of an empty weapon.

Suarez threw the pistol down with a huff and leaned against the wall. I slid into the shadows, put away the capsule, and caught my breath. My profuse sweating chilled beneath the powerful air vents. I reached into my pant leg and unsheathed the combat knife I'd concealed for too long. The hallway was a dead end, and it was only a matter of time before Suarez flushed me out. I was a cornered animal that would have to fight to survive. Or could I wait it out and find an opening to escape? I willed myself to summon enough courage to use the blade. Papá would've...as would Mamá.

"I underestimated you, chico." Suarez panted. She swallowed hard and spoke more coherently. "You've been a bigger pain in the ass than any of the others." I closed my eyes and focused intently on her feet dragging across the tiles. "I thought for sure you'd crack once I finished your pendejo of a padre." Her words branded a scowl to my face. "Clearly whatever brains you have came from your mother. If the old perra hasn't been put out of her misery yet, I'll be sure to take care of her." Anger festered within me as I clenched the knife.

"You stupid..."

My nostrils flared and knuckles whitened.

"Little..."

"Shit," she spat.

Her final word lit the fuse within. I could feel her presence drifting down the hall as I lunged from the shadows. I willed myself to spring forward and I raised the knife high. _Fuerza! _I called within, speaking for Mamá where she couldn't. I brought the weapon down for them, yet could not see my foolishness through all my hate.

From the moment Suarez said "Gotcha" I realized I'd fallen right into her trap. I gasped as she easily caught my arm and delivered a swift punch to my face. It was nothing like the time a bully socked me in middle school. Suarez's knuckles were like iron against my nose as it cracked. My head swung back and it felt as if I had a permanently stuffy nose. Suarez easily ripped the knife from my hands and drove it towards me. As a last resort, I kicked the gunshot wound in her thigh and she staggered back. The knife clanged onto the floor and twirled into the shadows.

I made a run for the nearest door as feeling returned to my nostrils. The throbbing numbness was replaced with several sharp pulses of pain. Warmth coated my upper lips as I tasted my own blood. It splattered over the door handle as I twisted and I hurried to wipe it. As I leaned forward, the blood flow continued like a faucet down my throat until I thought I'd vomit. I coughed it up until I realized there wasn't any airflow through my nose.

I dropped to my knees, unsure of how to treat my injury. My copious bleeding combined with alternating faintness and nausea. The nighttime breeze was frigid against my skin as I scraped my knees in the dirt. Death pursued as Suarez bashed the door open behind me. Gazing up with tired eyes and a gushing nose, I had but one choice. I raced to the enclosure Hans and I escaped the other night, where we'd captured the very symbols of death. Now those vicious raptors were my only hope for salvation.

The yellow release valve gleamed dimly from the side of the gate. If I could just slam it open...maybe, just maybe the raptors could spring to out. Surely it was possible for them to grab me too, but I had to hope the act would buy me time. I had to believe in anything as I flung myself towards the gate. It seemed further despite me nearing it. The distant roar of raptors was drowned out by Suarez's tromping boots. My breaths condensed and legs weakened near the gate. Blood poured down my neck and soaked the Mario caricature on my shirt. Lightheadedness was upon me as I made a fist and swung it towards the release valve. My knuckles barely nicked it as I felt Suarez squeeze my shoulders.

She slammed my body into the terminal and threw me to the ground with a huff. The commander loomed over me with eternal hatred in her eyes and malice in her palms. I meekly threw up a leg to kick her, but she caught it and dragged me closer. I screamed involuntarily as she put all of her weight on top of me and brought her hands to my face. "Shhh," she said. "Cállate." Despite her rising hatred, her voice lowered to a whisper. "It will all be over soon." Her legs kept my arms pinned while one of her hands seized my throat. Her scarred palm brushed over my lips and flattened against them. I squirmed through my pain to make any effort to break free. Blood stained her stout fingers as they tightened around my neck and I stared into her eyes. My gaze watered as the drainage from my nostrils dripped into my tears. I couldn't even gasp for breath with her palm pressing me down. It was as if she'd ignited a fire in my chest, prompting my legs to convulse like a wild rag doll's. My heels haplessly dug into the dirt to scrounge for air where there was none.

It felt like my eyes would pop out of their strained sockets. My face was numb, aching and freezing all at once. My hand smacked at her gunshot wound, making her leg twitch for a moment. I was able to squeeze my hand up to her face and weakly grab at it. She simply sat out of my pointless reach and cackled. Her dripping sweat added to the cesspool of bodily fluids swirling on my face. My heart's pulsations were like punches from death itself. My frail fingers clung to her collar, slowly losing their grip as she flashed a demonic grin.

"Come on, Carlito." she said. "Papá's waiting." She squeezed harder and the world went black...

...or was it white?

_Nothing seemed to make sense, yet everything did. I was at my end by evil's hand. Surely if there was a God that I had spoken to all these years, this had to have been part of his plan. To take Papá from me...to lead me down the same deathly road. As my eyes fluttered into the blackness, memories sped across like a cassette on fast-forward. I saw Papá buying me the Mario shirt because he knew how much the game meant to me. There was Mamá screaming "Fuerza!" on the baseball field. I even saw Bruce, laying half-dead...risking everything in the name of redemption.  
_  
Whatever feeling remained in my fingers lightened. I let go of Suarez's collar and dragged my hand down her uniform. My head sunk deeper into the dirt as my vision blurred. Yet on the brink of death itself, my fingers snagged onto the commander's coat pocket. With nothing more than a few sensations and vague memories to keep me going, I dug them deeper into the sleeve. Something boney brushed against me and I took hold of it. The symbol of death clung to me as I emerged with the same raptor claw she'd scavenged from the visitor center. By the time Suarez had noticed, I'd already blindly swiped upwards. I heard her muffled caw and suddenly all pressure was removed.

I coughed and wheezed uncontrollably. My nose was the least of my concerns as I rolled over with blurred vision and a throbbing headache. Feeling slowly returned to my body along with my sight as I noticed Suarez stumbling by the enclosure gate. I took in what musty air I could and looked at the bloody raptor claw still nestled between my fingers. Suarez turned, grasping her own neck as a deep, crimson slit oozed its contents. She leaned against the gate in disbelief as I threw myself onto the release valve. Suarez had neither the time nor energy to react as she fell into the enclosure and I quickly resealed the gate via switch.

I limped towards the bars as Suarez did the same. It was as if we were staring into a cruel, daunting mirror. The commander's crude scars matched the blood drippings which ran across my face. I had no words for this wicked woman. No remarks to leave her to ponder in her final moments. Her shocked and infuriated expression spared no expense. If it hadn't been for the slit throat she desperately tried to keep pressed together, her quivering lips looked as though she wished to curse me out.

A raspy bark rang out from behind Suarez, yet her demeanor didn't simmer. The trees rustled behind her, but she wouldn't move. Her eyes narrowed on me as the snarls grew louder. Despite knowing what was coming, I still gasped as a velociraptor pounced from hiding. It smashed Suarez against the floor and drove its claws into her back. Her hands swung forward as she kept looking at me. The raptor chomped on her leg and dragged her back. I wanted to look away, but it was like she'd put a spell on me. The trance was only broken when a second raptor lunged for her arm. A third sprung from the bushes and landed in front of her. With my view obscured, the last I saw was the savage predator descending on her head while the other two twisted her limbs. I made sure the gate was locked and backed away slowly, listening to the sounds of shredding fabric and spilling entrails. The raptor banquet echoed throughout the night as my aching body weighed me down.

I made my way back into the facility and returned to the control room. On my way up, I recovered my discarded knife and cut pieces of my shirt to blanket my nose. I slowly peered into what was left of the room to see the smoke had cleared. Nanako took aim from the wreckage and I instantly threw my hands up. "Don't!" I muttered through a stuffy nose.

"You scared the shit out of me, dork." Nanako sighed and lowered her pistol. I knelt beside her and helped lift rubble off. "What about Suarez?" she asked.

"Gone," I said. "They all are."

"What...you just got her?" she inquired.

"She's in one...or...several...raptor bellies right now."

Nanako spat on the debris we'd removed. "Good."

"Look, we need to get to Mamá." I intoned. I took one last look at the gaping hole where Bruce had given everything for us. "Thank you," I said and offered a salute. I pat my pocket to make sure I still had his button. If there was a salvation after death, Bruce had earned it more than most ever would.

We traversed the piles of dead mercenaries to reach the closet Mamá had hidden away in. After multiple attempts to reassure her it was actually us and that we weren't hostages trying to draw her out, she finally let us come in. One look at my bludgeoned face and she scooped me into an embrace. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, mijo." she said.

"It's alright," I assured. "You _were_. And so was Papá." The next time she looked at me, both of us knew we'd changed. This was further solidified as I rubbed her shoulders and said, "Fuerza."

Her pride beamed as Nanako and I helped her up. We exited the facility to a warm sunrise over the jungle. "¿Dónde está Bruce?" Mamá asked. We shook our heads grimly and she understood.

"His sacrifice wasn't in vain," I assured and removed the capsule from my bag.

A weapon cocked from the distance and we slowly looked up. "But are you willing to bet _your _lives on that?" said a voice.

Nanako huffed. "Oh you gotta be shitting me."

Our numbers on the mercenaries were off. We'd completely missed the sniper who'd positioned himself on the facility's rooftop. His odds of blasting us were greatly higher versus back at the _Nublar Eye_. "Your leader's gone," I pleaded.

"You think I give a damn?" the sniper jeered. "Those embryos will make me enough cash to go off grid. Now look around. There's been enough death here and all three of you are in terrible shape. Use your heads, toss the capsule up here, and that'll be the end of it." None of us replied. "Hey! Earth to two broads and a kid! I'm trying to cut you some slack-"

"Well enough of it!" Mamá shouted back. "Surely we can come to some other agreement." I noticed her gently reaching Nanako's holstered pistol. I hoped the best for her, but there was no way she could be fast enough.

She delicately clenched the holster as the sniper readied himself. "To hell with this," he growled.

A gunshot blared and I braced for the worst. Mamá remained standing beside us, yet Nanako's pistol was still holstered. The sniper's rifle fell with a clack as his body swung off the building. We turned to see Hans stepping out of the jungle with smoking pistol in hand. "That's for my ship," he said. "Arschloch."

The captain's final shot brought an end to the Viboras. As our group reunited, a single image burned its way into my head. Commander Suarez's cruel, unwavering eyes had stayed fixed on me...even at the bitter end. It was clear that she'd accepted her gruesome fate to the velociraptors, but everyone paid a price. As I further pondered why she'd focused so much on maintaining eye contact with me, it occurred on what she hoped to achieve. Suarez hoped to haunt me for the rest of my days. Staring at me was a deathly curse so I'd never forget her face for as long I lived.


	10. Chapter 10 - Epilogue

**Epilogue Permanence**

**_One week later..._**

"Though it came at such a heavy cost, the elimination of the Viboras allowed us to safely call for help." I explained. "It was because of our efforts that you were able to find anyone alive in the first place." I sat back in the well-polished, leathery chair. Despite it being days since our extraction from Isla Nublar, I still had to grow used to what civilization felt like again. I stared at the permanence capsule, now empty of its contents and serving as nothing more than a memory of service. It glistened on the desk before me as sunbeams crept in from bulky curtains. "I hope it was worth it," I said. My voice was improving, especially since my broken nose had been fully bandaged and casted with more than a shirt. I grew tired of talking so much. If I wanted to spew empty words at a figure across the room, I'd keep doing so to my therapist. "Was it?" I dared to ask the man who'd summoned me to his study...his very home. "Was it worth it, Mr. Hammond?"

Age and physical stature meant nothing. John Hammond stood as proud as the park he'd worked to, or at least attempted to build. He faced the rising sun with pale arms folded behind his back. His fingers cradled a mosquito cased in amber: the headpiece of an illustrious cane. "Worth it," he finally spoke. He hung his head to think on my question like an ancient sage. "I suppose that's up for you to decide in the end." I quietly scoffed as he spun to face me. The sunlight twinkled off the brim of his glasses. "Young man," he said and knelt beside. "Carlito." He took the time say it with a proper accent. "I cannot undo what has already passed. As I'm sure therapy has shown you, words can only take you so far. Nothing I say can bring back your noble father."

"No," I uttered as a tear escaped my eye. "But my life honors his sacrifice." I looked to the elder as my lip quivered. "All of us who made it honor him."

Hammond smiled faintly. "You've unfortunately had to grow up sooner than most. I have no doubt that Geraldo and Mr. Boutwell would've been immensely proud of you." He gently tapped his cane twice as if to honor each soul. "I understand your mother's leg couldn't be saved after it grew gangrenous." I nodded and sniffled as he realized the truth. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't blame you," I assured.

Hammond stroked his beard. "I wouldn't blame you if you did. The amount of fingers pointed to me right now-"

"I can't speak for whatever happened before we got on that crazy island," I said. "But every atrocity after, was the fault of those evil people...and them alone."

Hammond sighed and pulled a chair beside me. "Perhaps you've grown wiser than myself, Carlito."

"Yeah, well...maybe we complicate life more than it needs to be."

Hammond leaned in and placed a chilly hand on my shoulder. "I promise you, I will do whatever I can to make this right after all you've done for me. Your family will be compensated and taken care of."

"I guess it swings me back to my question," I replied. "Was this worth it, sir? What was this all for?"

Hammond ran a hand across the smooth permanence capsule. "I believe it was indeed worth it," he answered. "The losses, the gains...the suffering we'll all have to share now. In the end, what you all fought to save will become the future of _Jurassic Park_."

"And what exactly is that?" I asked.

Hammond chuckled to himself and sulked. His growing cough made it seem as though his age had caught up with his spirited demeanor. "I'm actually not so sure about the future myself. I had to watch my dream crumble before my eyes. We can't even trace those mercenaries back to Biosyn because the word of survivors apparently isn't good enough anymore." He shook his head in anguish. "Gone are the days of the clear path I once trekked. There's so much gunk to wade through right now. It's filled with serpents nipping at my heels for the spoils of my folly. But while the coming tides are tremendous, they are far from invincible." Listening to Hammond speak, I could entirely understand how he was able to initially see his park's creation through. The man was truly charismatic in his ideals, even when it felt like he had everything to lose.

"One day life will return to a steady simplicity," Hammond claimed. "Dreams will be realized and efforts will prove fruitful. Until then, those loyal and I will work tirelessly to see that day realized."

"Mr. Hammond?" I asked and he looked to me with mirrored curiosity. "What would it take for you to include me those efforts?"

Hammond's jaw nearly dropped. "But my boy, you've already gone above and beyond. You and your mother deserve the return to a normal life and my funds can garner that for you."

"With all due respect sir..." I stood up and gestured to my face. I ran my finger across the bandages stuck to my nose and the scars that'd made homes on my cheeks. "A normal life isn't an option after what we've been through. I sleep on the floor because I forgot what a bed felt like. I hear a door slam and take cover as if its gunfire. I still see that wicked woman's face floating in my nightmares because of how she looked at me. Do you think a kid like me could ever go back to sitting in classrooms, sucking at baseball, and pretending none of this happened? My world has changed forever."

I could see the guilt weighing over Hammond as he removed his glasses to wipe them. "I see," he said. "You wish to continue your father's work for me."

"By any means, Mr. Hammond." I nodded solemnly. "I am not my father, nor will I ever be. But I carried those creatures on my aching back through death and torment to bring them this far. Why stop here?"

It was possible the room was just dry, or perhaps it was the old man's condition. Dust could've drifted from his glasses, causing them to water and redden as they did. But maybe...just maybe, I had reached him in a way no one had in years. As we looked at each other on that quiet, fateful morning, I believe he saw himself in me. Through our brief exchange, I had found more fulfillment than I had in hours talking to a professional counselor. There was a stillness that granted relief from the haunting memories of Isla Nublar. Even if only for a moment, I embraced the clarity to answer the very question I'd raised to Hammond. From the instant he shook my hand, he pulled me into the future my father had paved. The same destiny forged through Mamá's determination, Nanako's tenacity, Hans' boldness, and Bruce's redemption. I then realized yes...it was worth it. _19 years later..._

"Frankly I don't ever think it'll stop being worth it," I say. "There'll always be new life, second chances, and hope for a greater future." I caress my scaly patient as my heart leaps for joy at its temperature. "See?"

"I do," my coworker says. "That's quite a story, Carlito."

"My favorite one so far," I remark. "It's a nice reminder of how far we've come, Owen."

Owen delicately runs his hand across the parasaurolophus. He's nervous at first, but mimics my proper technique. "After everything, did you ever imagine you'd be back here?" he asks me.

My bold mustache lifts atop my smile. I glance at the nearby mirror and see Papá for an instant. "It was like the late John Hammond once said," I reply. "Dreams will be realized and efforts will prove fruitful. Despite years of studying as a dinosaur researcher at InGen, I never could've imagined how far things would go. But thanks to all of our hard work, look at Isla Nublar today. _Jurassic World_ is open to the public as the greatest marvel of the modern era. And I get to spend my days caring for my favorites." I pat the parasaurolophus as it slowly stirs under stasis. "You're alright, boy."

Owen and I step back, watching as a high-tech apparatus helps the dino rise from its containment unit. We depart up a stairwell and make our way to the observatory. "How's your mom after all this time?" Owen asks.

"Oh muy bien," I reply. "The company provides housing for her on the island so she's never too far. That's part of an agreement Hammond set in motion decades ago."

"Incredible," Owen admires. "What about Nanako and Hans?"

"Hans used his payment to retire, get a new boat and take up fishing. Last I spoke to him, he won't go after anything bigger than him. I don't know if you're ready to hear what became of Nanako."

Owen's eyes widen and he playfully punches me. "Come on, Carlito. You can't spill your life like that and leave me hanging."

"Just trying to build tension," I snicker. "Nanako went off grid for sometime, but eventually pursued a career in cross-platform computer development. However, her computer skills ultimately led her to...game design."

"She can't call you a dork for playing video games anymore," Owen chuckles. "Now she can spring traps on countless players instead of mercenaries huh?"

"I suppose so," I reply as we reach the lab's next level.

We lean over a chrome balcony and observe my patient's awakening. "Wow," Owen whispers.

"I could never tire of the sight," I say. "Always remember Owen, these are living...breathing...creatures." I withdraw Bruce's battered button from my pocket and hand it to him. "So many have fought for so much to carry on. We must never forget and always honor."

Owen thinks on my story and everything the button stood for. As a military man himself, he clenches the trinket and places it close to his heart. He looks at me with the same determined stare Bruce once gave me. "Thank you," he says. "I promise to remember."

"Good," I reply as the intercom sounds.

_ "Owen Grady to Level:4. Owen Grady to Level:4."_

Owen shrugs and huffs. "I'm a little nervous. Not gonna lie."

"Rightfully so," I say. "I've seen what adult velociraptors can do, but these will be hatchlings." I give him a playful nudge. "Who knows...If your research goes as planned you might end up as pack leader."

"Let's start with introductions," Owen assures and pats me on the back. He straightens his vest and posture before making for the nearest door. "I'll be seeing you, Carlito."

"All the best, Owen." I reply.

He spins with a snap of his fingers and a final thought. "We're still on for _Mario Kart_ after work tonight?"

"You know it!" I quip and flash a toothy grin.

"Dibs on Mario," Owen adds and I give him a death stare "Just kidding!" he blurts. "Yoshi's my boy."

The doors shut and I'm left shaking my head. "I'm always Mario," I affirm and return to work. I unbutton my lab coat and rest it on the desk. The midday sun glistens in through wide, freshly-wiped panes. I gaze out to the enclosure below as my latest patient eases his way back in. A series of vibrations sends me digging for my phone and I'm quick to answer. As soon as that voice hits my ear, I cannot help but sigh. "Hola, Mamá."

"Mijo," she answers with as much love as she can gather. "How's your favorite doing?"

I spot her from preferred seating and wave across the way. "Just about to come through!" I say. "Sit tight." She gestures to her wheelchair, leaving me utterly embarrassed. I hastily scan out of the lab use the staff exit. I brush past a plethora of various guests, each exhibiting excitement for the returning dino. I slide in to the seat next to Mamá and plant a kiss on her cheek. She rests her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around mine.

"Ladies and gentlemen," an announcer begins. "Boys and girls. It brings me great joy to welcome back the patriarch of our parasaurolophus herd, Geraldo! His persistent infection was no match for _Jurassic World's_ leading researchers and caretakers."

"That's my Carlito," Mamá whispers and shakes my arm.

"Fuerza, Mamá." I reply.

The announcer adjusts her mic volume and raises her arms to the crowd. "Let's give our crested friend a _Jurassic World _welcome!" Her applause are soon followed in waves by enthusiastic guests. Mamá and I happily join in, watching as Geraldo dashes back into his enclosure. Children point and giggle as his tail bobs around. Parents snap photos and the announcer begins spieling facts about the "proud parasaurolophus."

Geraldo rejoins the rest of his herd at the lagoon and they welcome him with a symphony of bellows. He stands nobly on his hind legs and emits a proud call. The toot reverberates across his herd and into the crowd. We feel his powerful sound reinvigorate us as if it was Papá himself. Sitting amongst so much bliss and reunion, I realize Hammond had been right. Despite the obstacles we'd faced and all we'd suffered, there was still a glint to be found in life. There was a reason to keep building something better so that all the loss meant something. I hadn't grown into a perfect man, nor were all my actions perfect. Tribulation would follow each new lesson, but we would carry on. No matter where my journey led, life would always have an element...of permanence.


End file.
